The report of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report concerning disability programs around the world also includes a chart showing where the United States ranks in relationship to other countries around the world in the rate of disability benefits recipiency. See the chart below. Click on it to see it full size.
Note that we have a higher incidence of disability benefits recipients than many European countries. The fact that the full retirement age in the U.S. is higher than in most, if not all of Europe has to contribute to this. Otherwise, your explanation may depend upon your politics. I think that it has a lot to do with our poor health care system. A large part of our population is at enormous risk because they do not receive even basic medical care. Untreated diseases such as hypertension cause much disability in this country.
While I agree with your statement about poor health care in the U.S. I must note that Hungary, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, The Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, The Czech Republic, The UK, and Ireland usually are considered part of Europe. I believe most of those countries have some form of national health care/insurance. This chart is of very limited value because it does not provide even minimal information about the basic requirements for deisability entitlement. The U.S. Social Security Act defines disability in Section 216(i)(1) as: "Except for purposes of sections 202(d), 202(e), 202(f), 223, and 225, the term “disability” means (A) inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, or (B) blindness; and the term “blindness” means central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the use of a correcting lens." In layman's terms: inability to do ANY type of work for a period of a year or more, a terminal illness or blindness. Do the countries with higher numbers of beneficiaries have less rigid standards? Conversely do the countries with few beneficiaries have tougher standards? Finally, which countries do not have gangs of lawyers advertising their inside knowledge and great success rates on late night infomercials? I will not be surprised to see Republican law makers touting this chart as "proof" that the country needs to reduce benefits or face "economic catastrophe." It is of limited value otherwise.
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