Stats that are surprising

[Ontobetterthings]

I came across a stat online earlier that said 80% of the world's population hasn't been on a plane. Aibu to find this so surprising?

What other stats have you come across which suprised you?

This stat is misleading or makes sense in a lot of ways.

It kills more of that specific group, but only results in 3% of all cancer deaths still now.

And the reality is that even for that under 40 group, it is only because of how exceptionally difficult brain tumours are to do anything about that the stat is like that - other cancers are astronomically more likely to get results from funding, and have done. It kills more of under 40s now, because those other cancers have been successfully researched.

There is no "brain tumour" to research. It is over 100 types. Treatments need to be researched not just by a cancer specialist, but by a neuroscientist who then also is a cancer specialist on top. The list of issues and blocks slowing it down is huge.

Only 8% of uk is built in. You could fit all the buildings on the beaches of the uk

A misleading stat depending in what you use it for.

The UK is shockingly bad for nature. Only about 6% is protected or well suited for nature. It ranks well into the bottom 10% of countries in the world for how intact the biodiversity of the country is.

85% of the country is "developed" in some kind of way, and not suitable for nature/natural biodiversity.

Genetic engineers are actively researching brain tumors, focusing on some of the most difficult-to-treat cancers like glioblastoma and high-grade gliomas.
Brain tumors are notoriously hard to treat because of the blood-brain barrier (which blocks many standard drugs from entering the brain) and the fact that brain tumors diffuse into surrounding healthy tissue rather than forming neatly defined borders. Genetic engineering is at the forefront of tackling these exact challenges.
Brain tumors often trick nearby immune cells (like macrophages) into protecting and nurturing the tumor. Genetic engineers are designing dual-action therapies that modify immune cells to attack both the cancer cells and the supporting immune environment that shields the tumor.

But but ChatGPT said...🙄

I take exception to this framing of it. 50% of households “take more out” (pejorative framing) than they “pay in” (only in financial terms), but also, it’s largely meaningless. Firstly these statistics are impossible to measure when looking at indirect taxes, it’s a calculation based on modelling. But secondly, most of the net beneficiaries are pensioners, and that number is rising. The group also includes young adults in education and training, and disabled people who are unable to work. With pensioners, this doesn’t take into account their lifetime “value” in terms of financial payment in. With students it ignores their future value.

In all cases it doesn’t reflect the fact that those people contribute to society and to businesses in financial ways other than personal taxes. For example, a low wage worker is paid poorly, and requires income support, but the business they work for will make more profit. Those profits are taxed, the shareholders are taxed, the goods and services they provide are taxed. Pensioners often do voluntary work. The services charities provide should be provided by the government. That’s a saving to the taxpayer.

You’re also conflating figures because 50% of income taxes may be paid by 6.5%, but that’s only a quarter of the tax take. When you add indirect taxes, the split is far more even across all households. Also, even within that 6.5% the distribution is massively uneven.

The framing is made all the worse because the statistics are driven by tax and benefit policies rather than the actions of households.

It must be true then!! 🤣

Absolutely, especially as @OhFFS26's prompt included "do not attempt to be sly" 🙄

Over 40% of American Adults are obese and that rises in Republican states. In the UK it's about 30% which isn't great but is better. Possibly all the civl war 🙄 keeps us slim.
Plus Americans spend the most per capita on health care but have the worst outcomes out of all OECD countries so that's another fun stat. Also the highest gun deaths, higher deaths than stabbing than the UK, every single city in America has a worse murder rate than the dreaded London (despite the civil wars). With cities in red states being the worse. Currently America also has the largest prison population on earth, more than communist authoritarian China even and that's despite the fact China has a much bigger population.
But despite this all the criminals arent in prison because statistically 100% of sitting American presidents are rapists. America does have the largest military budget in the world but despite this American sailors are currently hurling themselves into the sea to escape the treatment at the hands of their own military command. So I guess America just built the most expensive floating suicide devices in the world? Which is another big achievement! Fortunately FFS isn't in the military of course so this isn't something to bother themselves about.

God knows the UK has problems. But I don't think comparisons to Americans help Americans look good.

@TheignT something I heard many years ago (can't remember the source) was that nipple colour is linked to sensitivity and latching and this can obviously affect BF. People with pink nipples have much more problems than those with darker skin tones. Many white women have pinky beige coloured nipples, so pale pink nipples are not that common and mostly related to celtic type skin tones. It follows that BF success in UK and Ireland is lower than other European countries. I'd be interested if anyone heard this before, or is it some BS I was told to make me feel better when my baby couldn't latch onto my massive flat pale pink nipples.

If a man becomes a father at 30, the baby will have 50% more paternal mutations than if he had a baby at 18. Paternal age is more important for mutations than that of female mutations which are far lower per age group.

All this time we have been focusing on female age...

I've never heard it but I'm pale, freckled and Irish with pale pink inverted nipples. Apparently inverted nipples are supposed to be a problem with bf but I fed 4 with no problems. I think it's hard to know what helps and what hinders.

I couldn't believe that about nappies. Is this worldwide? If I were to look round say Boots, I would see far more baby nappies on sale than adult nappies. Out of curiosity, I googled and it appears that far more baby nappies are sold than adult continence products (including things like Tena lady pads).

Perhaps in other countries there are shops full of adult nappies, but none for babies.

Being overweight or obese is a major risk factor for urinary incontinence.

I don't think it is true.

It was reported to be the case for Japan, which is maybe where the original story comes from... https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/us/big-demographic-change-in-japan-more-diapers-are-being-sold-for-the-elderly-than-babies/articleshow/120413841.cms.

In America it's predicted to be the case in the future but not yet https://www.ltcnews.com/articles/aging-america-creates-huge-market-for-adult-diapers

In the UK I couldn't find any specific articles but the adult incontinence market overall was valued at 860 million in 2025https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/geography/incontinence-care-products-ipc-market/uk. That's not just adult diapers thought that's everything related to incontinence. Overall the UK diaper market is 3, 207 million. So even if all of the 860 million spent on adult incontinence was diapers and included in that it would still make up a minority of the overall number of nappies sold.

There will be more adults over the age of 65 than children under the age of 5. But not everyone over 65 needs incontinence products, and those that do probably get through far less in a day than a small baby.

Yes, and genetic mutations in the male sperm can also cause early miscarriages as well as the (sorry I don't want to offend anyone as this is a sensitive subject) resulting embryo isn't viable. But historically it was always women blamed for miscarriages/not being able to keep a pregnancy (and for the baby being female).

About 85% of the UK's agricultural land is used for animal agriculture (grazing and growing animal feed).

Why aren't we growing more of our own food instead?

In fairness not all of it is suited for arable crops. The conditions where grass grows well enough to feed sheep isn't always the same for growing high quality wheat or peas etc. Plus arable farms need different infrastructure and need to be easily accessible for harvesting whereas sheep in particular can be roaming far and wide on hills and then herded to lower fields besides roads. We could change some areas to make them better for different farming but that would disrupt the "natural" English countryside people are used to. Of course if it's been grazed by sheep for hundreds of years it's not technically "natural" but it's what people love.

What is wasteful is growing arable crops like soy beans etc just to feed to animals year round. Also sheep in particular can coexist with solar panels in a way that crops can't so if anything we need to keep the sheep but put in solar. (But then again people will complain about the English countryside being destroyed sigh)

Has anyone mentioned Whiskas: “in tests, eight out of 10 owners said their cats preferred it”? I always remember my sister saying “preferred it to what? Chopped glass?”

I am also sure that men passing on BV has an impact on miscarriages - particularly as they reinfect partners by not getting treated.
Always worth talking about these things with men, for awareness.

Oooh, that reminds me of the stat that surprised me most: the majority (62%) of the lakes in the WORLD are in Canada.

And this is why you have this opinion but I will stop talking about this now.

Seriously?

There’s huge swathes of the US that are still forests and wilderness. 97% of the country is designated as rural.

Seriously! Now that is surprising!

80% just seems really high