More or Less Podcast
Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life
Episodes to download
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Does Venezuela really have the biggest oil reserves in the world?
Today
We investigate if there are actually 300 billion barrels of oil in Venezuela's reserves
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The Stats of the Nation: Immigration, benefits and inequality
Yesterday
Tim Harford explores the stats on some of the UK’s most potent political debates
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The Stats of the Nation: Older people, education, prisons and the weather
Thursday
Tim Harford explores the stats on pensioners, exams, justice and climate change
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The Stats of the Nation: Sex, drugs and empty homes
Wednesday
Tim Harford explores the numbers that help explain fertility, pharmaceuticals and crime
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The Stats of the Nation: Health
Tuesday
Tim Harford explores the numbers that help explain the state of health and the NHS
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The Stats of the Nation: The Economy
Monday
Tim Harford explores the numbers that help explain the state of the UK economy
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Numbers of the year 2026
Last Saturday
From passenger numbers to world cup travel, we cast our eye forwards into 2026
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Numbers of the year 2025
Sat 27 Dec 2025
From tariffs to comets, we look back at the numbers of 2025 across the world
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Were there really Three Wise Men?
Christmas Eve 2025
From counting people to measuring housework - we explore.
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The shocking world of US health costs
Sat 20 Dec 2025
Can the same pill cost $3 in a pharmacy and $750 in a hospital?
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Do we really have ‘superflu’?
Wed 17 Dec 2025
The NHS is warning of an unprecedented flu season - we check.
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RCP 8.5: Why did the climate change model get it wrong?
Sat 13 Dec 2025
How an important climate model was too pessimistic about the future
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Is RFK right about US sperm counts?
Sat 6 Dec 2025
Do US teens have 50% lower sperm and testosterone counts than 65 year old men?
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Richard Thaler and The Winner’s Curse
Sat 29 Nov 2025
Richard Thaler on two of his most famous observations in behavioural economics
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Is there a stock market crash coming?
Sat 22 Nov 2025
Can data tell us if a stock market crash is coming?
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Has there been a $50 trillion wealth transfer to the richest Americans?
Sat 15 Nov 2025
Bernie Sanders says vast riches have moved to the wealthiest in the US. Is he right?
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Is RFK Jr right about China's diabetes rate?
Sat 8 Nov 2025
Investigating if 50% of people in China really have diabetes
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Halloween special: How many people did the real Dracula impale?
Fri 31 Oct 2025
Looking at the math's behind the myth
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Is your housework split sexist?
Sat 25 Oct 2025
Corinne Low explains the economics of women, men and housework
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Nobel economics prize 2025: What's the big idea?
Sat 18 Oct 2025
Tim Harford explains the ideas behind the winners of the economics Nobel Prize.
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Are millions of people getting Motability cars for anxiety and ADHD?
Wed 15 Oct 2025
Farm tax, ADHD benefits, Movember claim and Tim’s marathon
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Are 72% of prison inmates in Switzerland foreign?
Sat 11 Oct 2025
Donald Trump says three quarters of Swiss prisoners are not Swiss. Is he right?
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Does half the UK get more in benefits than they pay in tax?
Wed 8 Oct 2025
UK benefits, Zack Polanski’s billionaire claim and Gen Z job interviews
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Is the world getting less miserable?
Sat 4 Oct 2025
Exploring global polling data that suggests people in more countries are "thriving"
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Has Donald Trump ended seven 'unendable' wars?
Wed 1 Oct 2025
Trump’s peace deals, Labour’s GDP claim and university league tables
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The Case of the Missing US Data
Sat 27 Sep 2025
Why does it matter that US government datasets are being deleted and discontinued?
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Was it easier to deport migrants to France before Brexit?
Wed 24 Sep 2025
Migrant returns, ageing mistakes, beef prices and AI MP speeches.
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Is JD Vance right about left-wing violence?
Sat 20 Sep 2025
Following the murder of Charlie Kirk, what is the data on political violence in the US?
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Is it true that out-of-work benefits have almost doubled?
Wed 17 Sep 2025
Out-of-work benefits, French pensioners, surprising salmon and the truth about senses.
