Investors looking for income from equities have to look far beyond the US shores for higher yields. This is because dividend yields in the US declined many decades and continue to remain low relative to other developed markets. For example, the current dividend yield on the S&P 500 is 1.90%. But the dividend yields in Europe and Asia are much as higher as shown in the chart below:

Click to enlarge

Note: The yields shown above are as of July 31, 2018

Source:Three reasons to diversify in the hunt for equity income, Schroders

it should be noted that dividend withholding taxes are high in some countries and will reduce the net yield received by investors. For example, the Swiss dividend withholding tax rate for non-residents is 35%.

Despite the taxes and other factors such as foreign currency exchange risk it is important for income-seeking investors to diversify among different regions.