Almost $268 billion was paid last year in subsidies to farmers in the 30 mainly rich countries of the OECD, down from $281 billion in 2005. This huge support, both directly from taxpayers and indirectly through higher prices paid by consumers, fell from 29% of total farm receipts to 27%. The drop was mainly because of higher world food prices, which reduced the need to prop up domestic prices, rather than changes in policy. Even so, crop and livestock prices in OECD countries were on average 21% higher than world market prices in 2006. The level of support varied widely, from 1% of farm receipts in New Zealand to more than 60% in Switzerland. In America it amounted to 11%, whereas in the EU it came to 32%.