Vital Statistics Totally Mislead Us

Lack of context on murder rates, gas prices, stocks and other numbers fuels misinformation, anxiety and arguments

Numbers are so solid. Where adjectives can be vague and hyperbolic, numbers are specific and grounded. Numbers don’t lie. Well, actually, numbers lie all the time.

Simple and common statistics we see or hear in the news every day, or argue about with friends and family, are often so bereft of context that they become unintentionally meaningless or grossly misleading. These can be seemingly straightforward, concrete everyday stats reported by honest journalists and serious experts and respected media organizations and other well-meaning writers, bloggers and podcasters.

Wherever you get your numbers, odds are they’re rarely what they seem, whether purposely or unwittingly pulled out of context.

$3.29: Outrageously high price of gas

People often complain that gas prices are through the roof. Totally not true.

Adjusted for inflation, the average US retail price per gallon for regular gas is less today as in 1950. The chart below reflects prices through January 2024. But in the past year, the average price for regular gas nationwide has fallen from…