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BBC Radio 4

Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life.

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1,133 episodes
Updated Saturday

Episodes1133

Newest first

Oct 18, 2025 · 8 min
Nobel economics prize 2025: What's the big idea?
Tim Harford explains the ideas behind the winners of the economics Nobel Prize.
Oct 15, 2025 · 28 min
Are millions of people getting Motability cars for anxiety and ADHD?
Farm tax, ADHD benefits, Movember claim and Tim’s marathon.
Oct 11, 2025 · 8 min
Are 72% of prison inmates in Switzerland foreign?
Donald Trump says three quarters of Swiss prisoners are not Swiss. Is he right?
Oct 8, 2025 · 26 min
Does half the UK get more in benefits than they pay in tax?
UK benefits, Zack Polanski’s billionaire claim and Gen Z job interviews.
Oct 4, 2025 · 8 min
Is the world getting less miserable?
Exploring global polling data that suggests people in more countries are "thriving"
Oct 1, 2025 · 28 min
Has Donald Trump ended seven 'unendable' wars?
Trump’s peace deals, Labour’s GDP claim and university league tables
Sep 27, 2025 · 8 min
The Case of the Missing US Data
Why does it matter that US government datasets are being deleted and discontinued?
Sep 27, 2025 · 8 min
The case of the missing US data
Why does it matter that US government datasets are being deleted and discontinued?
Sep 24, 2025 · 28 min
Was it easier to deport migrants to France before Brexit?
Migrant returns, ageing mistakes, beef prices and AI MP speeches.
Sep 20, 2025 · 8 min
Is JD Vance right about left-wing violence?
Following the murder of Charlie Kirk, what is the data on political violence in the US?
Sep 17, 2025 · 29 min
Is it true that out-of-work benefits have almost doubled?
Out-of-work benefits, French pensioners, surprising salmon and the truth about senses.
Sep 13, 2025 · 8 min
Will the world really be 50 million workers short by 2030?
Is Nvidia boss Jensen Huang right about a looming labour shortfall?
Sep 11, 2025 · 29 min
Are Afghan nationals more likely to be convicted of sexual offences?
National debt, Afghan crime, menopause retirement and literal snail pace.
Sep 6, 2025 · 8 min
Do 11,000 sharks die every hour?
Investigating if 100 million sharks are killed by fishing nets every year.
Aug 30, 2025 · 8 min
Are self-driving cars safer than cars with drivers?
We look at claims that fully autonomous cars are 5 or ten times safer
Aug 23, 2025 · 8 min
Do women feel the cold more than men?
We investigate if air conditioning is set too cold for women.
Aug 16, 2025 · 8 min
How weird was the Med Sea heatwave?
Did the Mediterranean experience a 1-in-216,000,000,000-year sea temperature anomaly?
Aug 16, 2025 · 8 min
How weird was the Mediterranean Sea heatwave?
Did the Mediterranean experience a 1 in 216,000,000,000-year sea temperature anomaly?
Aug 9, 2025 · 8 min
Why it matters that Trump fired data chief
The US president fired Erika McEntarfer over job numbers. What’s the potential fallout?
Aug 6, 2025 · 8 min
Are abortion numbers rising in the US?
Looking at the data behind abortion in a post Dobbs America.