Americans spend more money on fast food than on movies, music, books, magazines, and newspapers combined. The rapid growth of this $240 billion industry over the last 30 years has been the result of economic shifts that have forced more women to work outside the home. Here are the top nine fast-food chains and how they stack up worldwide.

mcdonald's at night
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Hungry? McDonald's is one of the most popular places to get ­your fast food fix.

Go to the next page to see the first fast food chain on our list.­