The Consumption Gap.

• Author: Crossette, Barbara
• Position: Huge differences in consumption between wealthiest and poorest countries - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

NEW YORK, Sept. 13--The wealthiest 20 percent of the world's population consume 86 percent of the world's goods and services, while the poorest 20 percent of the world's people consume only 1.3 percent, according to the recently released UN Human Development Report 1998.

The report also says that the richest 20 percent buy nine times as much meat as the poorest 20 percent. Americans spend more on cosmetics ($8 billion annually) and...