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Article: The perils of percentages. (examples of statistical confusion resulting from government and business reports of percentage changes)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- April 18, 1998
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Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 1998 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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AN AMUSING anecdote sent in by a reader provides the third theme in our occasional series on statistical abuse. In the late 1970s, the Mexico city government increased the capacity of the Viaducto, a four-lane motorway, by re-painting lines to make it six lanes wide-in effect, a 50% increase in capacity. Unfortunately, this also resulted in an increase in fatal accidents. After a year the Viaducto was changed back to a four-lane road-a 33% capacity reduction. The government, casting around for facts to support its claims of social progress, subtracted that 33% reduction from the 50% increase to claim a net increase in capacity of 17%.
This example demonstrates the ...
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......weakening of the yen against the dollar, today announced an increase in its key interest...the decline in the yen's value was putting...showing a 3.3 percent increase in Tokyo area consumer...been expected to increase the value of the yen relative to the...
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