It is no secret that young people all over the world have embraced the mobile phone. But who pays for all those mobile services charges?

Well, that depends on the country. According to a series of surveys conducted in eight countries by The Nielsen Company, U.S. youth ages 20-24 are the most likely to say someone else is footing the bill, with only 45 percent saying they pay for their own service, compared to 88 percent of those in Russia and 84 percent of those in Germany. German teens ages 15-19 also rank high for saying they pay their own mobile charges, tied with those from Brazil. (Before despairing, parents of financially-dependent teens should note that the survey did not ask whether young people paid for these services out of an independent source of income or a parent-provided allowance.)

For more information on young people and their cellphones, download our new white paper on Mobile Youth Around the World.