Is the UK state pension really the lowest in Europe?

October 7, 2026 · 29 min

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: (00:42) Is the UK uniquely miserly when it comes to the state pension? That’s the story a viral social media post is telling - but have they adjusted to account for…
The Uzbekistan-shaped hole in an influential climate cost paper

October 3, 2026 · 9 min

How much could climate change cost the global economy? That would be a very useful thing to know, and scientists have developed statistical models that they think can help give a reasonable answer. These involve finding the patterns in…
Does the UK really have nine out of the ten poorest regions in Northern Europe?

September 30, 2026 · 30 min

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: (00:40) Does the UK account for nine out of ten of the poorest regions in Northern Europe? It’s a classic story of devil meets detail where the true meaning is the…
Trump fact-check: Do the US and Venezuela have 60% of the world’s oil?

September 26, 2026 · 9 min

US president Donald Trump has claimed in a speech to the UN that the US and Venezuela combined now have 60% of the world’s oil. 100% of the team on More or Less were confused. What measurement was the president using to get to this…
Has the UK’s productivity puzzle been solved?

September 23, 2026 · 29 min

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: (00:42) Frustrated economists have been left rending their garments and howling in the streets after the UK’s ‘productivity puzzle’ - a decade-long head-scratching…
Are carrots becoming less nutritious?

September 19, 2026 · 9 min

Are fruit and vegetables less nutritious than they used to be? And is declining soil quality to blame? Loyal listener Sarah got in touch to ask us to investigate an interesting quote from Dr Karan Rajan in a BBC news story. “We know our…
Are bad teeth the number one reason kids go to A&E?

September 16, 2026 · 28 min

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: (00:33) Are crumbling teeth the number one reason children attend A&E? We drill down into the dental health of the nation’s kids. (08:20) The US Ambassador to Israel Mike…
Could this be the strongest El Niño in 1,000 Years?

September 12, 2026 · 9 min

Every year, climate scientists keep a close eye on data coming out of a particular area of the Pacific Ocean. They’re trying to measure the scale of a climate phenomenon - the El Niño event or effect. This is a naturally occurring…