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More or Less

BBC Radio 4
United States
Climate Change
Donald Trump
Artificial Intelligence
Autism
Statistics
Covid-19
China
NHS
Mathematics
UK Economy
Education
Mental Health
US Healthcare Costs
Microplastics
Daniel Kahneman
Housework
Obesity
Labour Party
United Kingdom

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

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes1141Founded19 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Society & Culture

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Latest Episodes

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 Huckabee... more

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 phenomenon where oc... more

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week:

(00:38) The number of people being recalled to prison after early release in England and Wales is rising sharply. Why?

(07:37) Is the UK millionaire an endangered species? We ask ... more

Can it really be true that every shuffle of a deck of cards is unique? Mathematician and stand-up comedian Matt Parker claims that every time you do a shuffle, the cards have never been in that order before. But how can he be so confident? Matt came ... more

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Recent Guests

Lizzy McNeill
Gull-themed science communicator and expert on public perceptions of seagull data
BBC More or Less / Compare the Market study contributor
Episode: Why are so many ex-prisoners being sent back to prison?
Cassia Rowland
Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government
Institute for Government
Episode: Why are so many ex-prisoners being sent back to prison?
Lukas Lehner
Global Welfare Stats expert, Assistant Professor at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
Episode: Do Germans really take 19.5 days of sick leave per year?
Mark Cooper-Jones
One half of Geography YouTube channel Map Men
Map Men
Episode: How much of the world isn’t owned by anyone?
Robin Wigglesworth
Journalist at the Financial Times and author of A Fabulous Debt
Financial Times
Episode: How much of all the money in the world does Elon Musk have?
Faisal Islam
BBC economics editor
BBC
Episode: Would you take £50,000 or a 50/50 chance of £1m?
Matt Ashby
Professor at University College London's Centre for Global City Policing
University College London
Episode: Is crime in London ‘through the roof’?
David Sumpter
Professor of Applied Mathematics
Uppsala University
Episode: How much luck do you need to win the World Cup?
Ian Graham
Author and former head of research at Liverpool FC
Liverpool Football Club
Episode: How much luck do you need to win the World Cup?

Hosts

Tim Harford
Host of More or Less; renowned economist and author, known for data-driven storytelling and critical thinking on numbers
Lizzy McNeill
Co-host and climate data specialist providing context-rich explanations and data interpretation
Elis James
Co-host and Welsh broadcaster; participates in social-networking segments to illustrate probability concepts

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 5.6k ratings
  • Very engaging short podcast, especially for me because I play tennis myself and host a YouTube channel on the sport. (Check it out! - @CourtChaosTennis123 - for amazing and frankly, chaotic tennis videos!)

    Podcast Addict
    5
    @CourtChaosTennis123 YT
    a month ago
  • Superb

    It is incredible for people who want to know what is going on around the world without getting brainwashed by social media

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Harry_bike_racing
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • Delightful

    This podcast has no business being so delightful, and yet, it is.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Capybarbarian
    United States3 months ago
  • Propaganda with numbers

    We all know by now that BBC is all about promoting their own ideological agenda. The only special feature of this program is that numbers are used for this purpose. Yet this doesn’t make it any more solid than any other BBC propagandist venture. Trapped in their own bubble, they are desperately trying to project some appearance of credibility, which is however gone with the wind. No one trusts this fraud any more other than their own bubble

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    kritbjkbvzhiugf
    Germany3 months ago
  • Just to biased to math

    More or Less should bring the math but they twist it in analysis.

    Recently they headlined “Debunking, the claim that migrants will get half of new homes”. Funny enough the expert you brought on said, the number’s not wrong on its face and certainly there is a link between increased migration and housing supply as they have to live somewhere. But then the non-math analysis was that the migrants would have to compete for the new homes so the conservatives are incorrect in their claim as stated ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Future-is-bright
    United States4 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

A mix of skepticism and curiosity; consistently high factual standard.
Excellent for building statistical literacy and understanding real-world numbers.
Some listeners feel occasionally biased in the framing, but data is carefully explained.
Valuable, rigorous, and accessible data storytelling that clarifies complex topics.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Do Germans really take 19.5 days of sick leave per year?
Q: So, what's going on? Are these numbers legit?
Lukas explains the difference between calendar days and working days, and notes that the 19.5 days figure is an admin count from insurer records, not a survey, with caveats about underreporting and how long absences skew averages.
14 million deaths or zero deaths? The impact of the USAID cuts
Q: How much money was the US putting into foreign aid in the first place?
The best available data from 2023 show the US contributed around $62 billion, roughly a third of global foreign aid, highlighting its role as the largest single contributor.
How much of all the money in the world does Elon Musk have?
Q: So how much of the world's money does Elon Musk actually own if his fortune were all cash?
If all of Musk's fortune were cash, it would be around 0.8% of the world's money supply, which is still a surprisingly small slice given the scale of his wealth, mainly because his wealth is largely tied to shares rather than cash.
Is crime in London ‘through the roof’?
Q: But is it true that London is a lawless hotbed of violent activity?
The guest explains that when you compare across cities with harmonised definitions and reporting practices, London's homicide and assault rates are generally in line with other large European and global cities, and do not support the claim of London being uniquely dangerous.
How much luck do you need to win the World Cup?
Q: How do you separate luck from skill in evaluating team performance?
By looking at longer-run performance across multiple matches (e.g., five-game windows) and using metrics like XG to quantify the quality of chances, which helps distinguish random outcomes from genuine team strength.

Audience Metrics

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Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About More or Less

What is More or Less about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show regularly dissects numbers behind current events, policy debates, and everyday decisions, often featuring data-driven guests who challenge sensational headlines. Episodes cover health aid impacts, global wealth concepts, risk and behavioral economics, crime statistics, World Cup math, climate and heat risk, and education policy, always highlighting methodological caveats and the grey areas where data can mislead. A notable strength is bringing rigorous statistical literacy to broad audiences through approachable demos and expert guests, making it well suited for listeners who want clear, evidence-based takes on complex issues and for sponsors seeking a thoughtful, data-forward audience.

A standout trait across episodes is the cons... more

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1. BBC Inside Science
2. Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4
3. The Briefing Room
4. Sliced Bread
5. Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast

How many episodes of More or Less are there?

More or Less launched 19 years ago and published 1141 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on More or Less?

Recent guests on More or Less include:

1. Lizzy McNeill
2. Cassia Rowland
3. Lukas Lehner
4. Mark Cooper-Jones
5. Robin Wigglesworth
6. Faisal Islam
7. Matt Ashby
8. David Sumpter

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