A high level of consumption means a thing (a society?) buys and uses up products to a great degree. It's not really about a high standard: it's about quantity instead of quality.

When speaking of economics, YES, a "high level of consumption" CAN mean the same thing as "a high standard of living." For example, http://www.worldwatch.org/node/810 "consumption of goods and services has risen steadily in industrial nations for decades, and it is growing rapidly in many developing countries.... A lifestyle and culture that became common in Europe, North America, Japan, and a few other pockets of the world in the twentieth century is going global in the twenty-first." Consumption literally means to eat, to use up. In economics, the world is divided into "producers," for example companies that manufacture cars, and "consumers," who buy them and "consume" them. It can be argued that societies that "a high level of consumption" may not really mean "a better life," but neither does "a high standard of living."

Hi Diana, firstly "consumption" is a noun that means, "the act or process of consuming", "the process of using, buying or eating something" or "an amount consumed", so "high level of consumption" means, "consuming or using something at a high level". For example, in some countries there is a high level of chocolate consumption, this means that people consume a lot of chocolate in those countries. I hope that this answers helps, Insha'Allah (God willing). Sorry, but I'm no pro at English :). Sources and Further Reading: - http://www.thefreedictionary.com/consumption - http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/consumption - http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/consume?s=t