The United States by far has the single largest consumer market of any country worldwide, representing over 26% of the entire global consumer market. U.S. consumers spent over $12.5 trillion in 2017, nearly three times as much as the second largest consumer market, China. China’s consumer market is currently one of the world’s fastest growing markets, with nearly $4.5 trillion in consumer expenditures.
International companies selling to the U.S. marketplace are attracted to the enormous wealth that consumers have access to in the United States. Ample and readily accessible credit sources in the U.S. also allow consumers the ability to purchase a wide variety of products.
Emerging market economies such as India and Brazil not only have a growing consumer market, but also benefit from exports to the U.S. Whereas, developed economies such as Japan and Germany have shrinking consumer markets yet depend heavily on exports to the United States.
Demographics has been a driving force in the U.S., as baby boomers provided an enormous amount of activity among various sectors and industries for decades. Now, as baby boomers retire and exit their prime spending years, it is up to younger consumers to create and replace much of the wealth needed to maintain consumption expenditures.
Sources: World Bank Group, United Nations Statistics Division
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