Comparing countries' coronavirus performance

Available for over a year

Many articles in the media compare countries with one another - who’s faring better or worse in the fight against coronavirus? But is this helpful - or, in fact, fair? Tim Harford and Ruth Alexander discuss the limitations that we come across when we try to compare the numbers of Covid-19 cases and deaths in different countries; population size, density, rates of testing and how connected the country is all play a role. (parked gondolas in a clear silent canal in Venice, Italy, April 19, 2020. Photo credit:Pietro D'Aprano/Getty Images)