Rant 137 16/5/12 Subject: Surveys and statistics

Rant number 137


Watch the news, listen to the radio or pick up a newspaper and sooner rather than later, you will be presented with some kind of statistics.

The inspiration for today's rant was one such statistic on today's Radio 1 Newsbeat:

'Despite improvements in youth unemployment, still 1 in 5 young persons are out of work.'

What an oddly specific amount. Its certainly easily digestible isn't it?

What bollucks.

I hate these rounded up/rounded down, over-neat and made up statistics. It really makes me doubt the truth and integrity of what they say. You cannot tell me that exactly one in five young people is out of work. There are too many people to pin things down that easily - surely. If the answer is that approximately 223 kids in a thousand are out of work - this would be much more realistic.

Then there is the fact that there is no definition to what they say. If 1 in 5 kids is out of work, but this also includes those in education - are these on the working or non working side of the scale? Education is not being out of work but it doesn't pay you, so it isn't work.

I understand that I am being a bit persnickety (isn't persnickety a fantastic word!) here, but I think my point is quite valid. Don't put up such generalised statistics without defining your terms - or simply don't use them at all.

Because, in my opinion: most statistics are made up.

You can produce them to prove any point you want - and hide behind the numbers.

How many times have you heard a statement like

'25% of the Uk's population think that Ant and Deck are national treasures'

and thought, who bloody asked me? I've never been involved in any of these so called 'national surveys.

If however, there is ever a survey that says something like:

'100% of the UK population think that Ant and Deck need to be fed into a wood chipper'

You will know that I am involved - because it will be with the clipboard, faking the statistics - just in case some stupid vapid bastard says something to the contrary!

64.6% of all statistics are made up however, only 57.33% of the general population are aware of this.

You can believe me.. I did a survey.

Rant over.