Statistics of the Year


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The Royal Statistical Society has announced its winning statistics for 2020.

UK Statistic of the Year 2020 - 17,750
The number of excess deaths in April in care homes in England and Wales over four weeks (4th April - 1st May). Total deaths in care homes were 200% higher than the five-year average, compared with 85% higher in the home, and 65% higher in hospitals. Source: ONS

International Statistic of the Year 2020 - 332 days
The length of time between scientists publishing the genetic sequence of Covid-19 (11 January 2020) and an effective vaccine being administered (8 December 2020).
Source: World Health Organization, NHS

Read more about this year’s UK and international Statistics of the Year

Criteria

  • The nominated statistic should ideally have a public interest dimension to it
  • The statistic does not need to have an established media profile – it could be a number that is newsworthy but, in your view, has not previously received the attention it deserves
  • The statistic should be accurate, coherent and not misleading
  • It should ideally provide an interesting insight into a specific issue
  • Examples could include:
    • A statistic that debunks a popular myth
    • A statistic relevant to a key news story or social trend
  • The nominated statistic does not necessarily need to have been produced within 2020 but it does need to have become relevant in that time
  • The RSS particularly welcomes nominations that reflect a wide breadth, geographic spread and diversity of topics. We particularly encourage nominations covering topics or issues that have been under-represented in previous Statistics of the Year.
  • The judges will consider any potential limitations or criticisms of the statistic they select.
An award-winning initiative
Statistics of the Year was awarded MemCom's 2019 'Best Campaign' award. In the words of the judging panel, it was 'A very well executed campaign. The results and impact have been staggering, with a relatively small original outlay generating impressive results ... In relation to increasing media and public awareness of statistics that have real-world impact, the results have been phenomenal!
 

Follow the hashtag #StatsoftheYear on social media for updates!