Monday, December 7, 2015

How Statistics Are Distorted


Sorted by Population
State Population Gun related deaths per 100000 Actual total gun related deaths Percent
 California 38,802,500 7.5 2,910.19 0.0075
 Texas 26,956,958 10.5 2,830.48 0.0105
 Florida 19,893,297 11.8 2,347.41 0.0118
 New York 19,746,227 4.1 809.60 0.0041
 Illinois 12,880,580 8.4 1,081.97 0.0084
 Pennsylvania 12,787,209 11 1,406.59 0.0110
 Ohio 11,594,163 10.9 1,263.76 0.0109
 Georgia 10,097,343 12.5 1,262.17 0.0125
 North Carolina 9,943,964 12.1 1,203.22 0.0121
 Michigan 9,909,877 11.9 1,179.28 0.0119
 New Jersey 8,938,175 5.7 509.48 0.0057
 Virginia 8,326,289 10 832.63 0.0100
 Washington 7,061,530 8.4 593.17 0.0084
 Massachusetts 6,745,408 2.9 195.62 0.0029
 Arizona 6,731,484 13.9 935.68 0.0139
 Indiana 6,596,855 12.7 837.80 0.0127
 Tennessee 6,549,352 15.3 1,002.05 0.0153
 Missouri 6,063,589 14.3 867.09 0.0143
 Maryland 5,976,407 9.4 561.78 0.0094
 Wisconsin 5,757,564 9.6 552.73 0.0096
 Minnesota 5,457,173 7.6 414.75 0.0076
 Colorado 5,355,856 11.4 610.57 0.0114
 Alabama 4,849,377 17.5 848.64 0.0175
 South Carolina 4,832,482 14.9 720.04 0.0149
 Louisiana 4,649,676 19.1 888.09 0.0191
 Kentucky 4,413,457 13.6 600.23 0.0136
 Oregon 3,970,239 10.9 432.76 0.0109
 Oklahoma 3,878,051 16.4 636.00 0.0164
 Connecticut 3,596,677 4.3 154.66 0.0043
 Iowa 3,107,126 8 248.57 0.0080
 Arkansas 2,994,079 19.8 592.83 0.0198
 Mississippi 2,984,926 17.7 528.33 0.0177
 Utah 2,942,902 12.4 364.92 0.0124
 Kansas 2,904,021 11.3 328.15 0.0113
 Nevada 2,839,099 13.7 388.96 0.0137
 New Mexico 2,085,572 14.7 306.58 0.0147
 Nebraska 1,881,503 9 169.34 0.0090
 West Virginia 1,850,326 13.9 257.20 0.0139
 Idaho 1,634,464 13.9 227.19 0.0139
 Hawaii 1,419,561 2.5 35.49 0.0025
 Maine 1,330,089 10.6 140.99 0.0106
 New Hampshire 1,326,813 6.2 82.26 0.0062
 Rhode Island 1,055,173 5.2 54.87 0.0052
 Montana 1,023,579 16 163.77 0.0160
 Delaware 935,614 10.3 96.37 0.0103
 South Dakota 853,175 9.5 81.05 0.0095
 North Dakota 739,482 11.8 87.26 0.0118
 Alaska 737,732 19.8 146.07 0.0198
 Vermont 626,011 9.1 56.97 0.0091
 Wyoming 584,153 16.7 97.55 0.0167
Sorted by gun related deaths per 100K
State Population Gun related deaths per 100000 Actual total gun related deaths Percent
 Arkansas 2,994,079 19.8 592.83 0.0198
 Alaska 737,732 19.8 146.07 0.0198
 Louisiana 4,649,676 19.1 888.09 0.0191
 Mississippi 2,984,926 17.7 528.33 0.0177
 Alabama 4,849,377 17.5 848.64 0.0175
 Wyoming 584,153 16.7 97.55 0.0167
 Oklahoma 3,878,051 16.4 636.00 0.0164
 Montana 1,023,579 16 163.77 0.0160
 Tennessee 6,549,352 15.3 1,002.05 0.0153
 South Carolina 4,832,482 14.9 720.04 0.0149
 New Mexico 2,085,572 14.7 306.58 0.0147
 Missouri 6,063,589 14.3 867.09 0.0143
 Arizona 6,731,484 13.9 935.68 0.0139
 West Virginia 1,850,326 13.9 257.20 0.0139
 Idaho 1,634,464 13.9 227.19 0.0139
 Nevada 2,839,099 13.7 388.96 0.0137
 Kentucky 4,413,457 13.6 600.23 0.0136
 Indiana 6,596,855 12.7 837.80 0.0127
 Georgia 10,097,343 12.5 1,262.17 0.0125
 Utah 2,942,902 12.4 364.92 0.0124
 North Carolina 9,943,964 12.1 1,203.22 0.0121
 Michigan 9,909,877 11.9 1,179.28 0.0119
 Florida 19,893,297 11.8 2,347.41 0.0118
 North Dakota 739,482 11.8 87.26 0.0118
 Colorado 5,355,856 11.4 610.57 0.0114
 Kansas 2,904,021 11.3 328.15 0.0113
 Pennsylvania 12,787,209 11 1,406.59 0.0110
 Ohio 11,594,163 10.9 1,263.76 0.0109
 Oregon 3,970,239 10.9 432.76 0.0109
 Maine 1,330,089 10.6 140.99 0.0106
 Texas 26,956,958 10.5 2,830.48 0.0105
 Delaware 935,614 10.3 96.37 0.0103
 Virginia 8,326,289 10 832.63 0.0100
 Wisconsin 5,757,564 9.6 552.73 0.0096
 South Dakota 853,175 9.5 81.05 0.0095
 Maryland 5,976,407 9.4 561.78 0.0094
 Vermont 626,011 9.1 56.97 0.0091
 Nebraska 1,881,503 9 169.34 0.0090
 Illinois 12,880,580 8.4 1,081.97 0.0084
 Washington 7,061,530 8.4 593.17 0.0084
 Iowa 3,107,126 8 248.57 0.0080
 Minnesota 5,457,173 7.6 414.75 0.0076
 California 38,802,500 7.5 2,910.19 0.0075
 New Hampshire 1,326,813 6.2 82.26 0.0062
 New Jersey 8,938,175 5.7 509.48 0.0057
 Rhode Island 1,055,173 5.2 54.87 0.0052
 Connecticut 3,596,677 4.3 154.66 0.0043
 New York 19,746,227 4.1 809.60 0.0041
 Massachusetts 6,745,408 2.9 195.62 0.0029
 Hawaii 1,419,561 2.5 35.49 0.0025
Sorted by Acual Gun-Related Death totals
State Population Gun related deaths per 100000 Actual total gun related deaths Percent
 California 38,802,500 7.5 2,910.19 0.0075
 Texas 26,956,958 10.5 2,830.48 0.0105
 Florida 19,893,297 11.8 2,347.41 0.0118
 Pennsylvania 12,787,209 11 1,406.59 0.0110
 Ohio 11,594,163 10.9 1,263.76 0.0109
 Georgia 10,097,343 12.5 1,262.17 0.0125
 North Carolina 9,943,964 12.1 1,203.22 0.0121
 Michigan 9,909,877 11.9 1,179.28 0.0119
 Illinois 12,880,580 8.4 1,081.97 0.0084
 Tennessee 6,549,352 15.3 1,002.05 0.0153
 Arizona 6,731,484 13.9 935.68 0.0139
 Louisiana 4,649,676 19.1 888.09 0.0191
 Missouri 6,063,589 14.3 867.09 0.0143
 Alabama 4,849,377 17.5 848.64 0.0175
 Indiana 6,596,855 12.7 837.80 0.0127
 Virginia 8,326,289 10 832.63 0.0100
 New York 19,746,227 4.1 809.60 0.0041
 South Carolina 4,832,482 14.9 720.04 0.0149
 Oklahoma 3,878,051 16.4 636.00 0.0164
 Colorado 5,355,856 11.4 610.57 0.0114
 Kentucky 4,413,457 13.6 600.23 0.0136
 Washington 7,061,530 8.4 593.17 0.0084
 Arkansas 2,994,079 19.8 592.83 0.0198
 Maryland 5,976,407 9.4 561.78 0.0094
 Wisconsin 5,757,564 9.6 552.73 0.0096
 Mississippi 2,984,926 17.7 528.33 0.0177
 New Jersey 8,938,175 5.7 509.48 0.0057
 Oregon 3,970,239 10.9 432.76 0.0109
 Minnesota 5,457,173 7.6 414.75 0.0076
 Nevada 2,839,099 13.7 388.96 0.0137
 Utah 2,942,902 12.4 364.92 0.0124
 Kansas 2,904,021 11.3 328.15 0.0113
 New Mexico 2,085,572 14.7 306.58 0.0147
 West Virginia 1,850,326 13.9 257.20 0.0139
 Iowa 3,107,126 8 248.57 0.0080
 Idaho 1,634,464 13.9 227.19 0.0139
 Massachusetts 6,745,408 2.9 195.62 0.0029
 Nebraska 1,881,503 9 169.34 0.0090
 Montana 1,023,579 16 163.77 0.0160
 Connecticut 3,596,677 4.3 154.66 0.0043
 Alaska 737,732 19.8 146.07 0.0198
 Maine 1,330,089 10.6 140.99 0.0106
 Wyoming 584,153 16.7 97.55 0.0167
 Delaware 935,614 10.3 96.37 0.0103
 North Dakota 739,482 11.8 87.26 0.0118
 New Hampshire 1,326,813 6.2 82.26 0.0062
 South Dakota 853,175 9.5 81.05 0.0095
 Vermont 626,011 9.1 56.97 0.0091
 Rhode Island 1,055,173 5.2 54.87 0.0052
 Hawaii 1,419,561 2.5 35.49 0.0025
Sorted by Percentage Values
State Population Gun related deaths per 100000 Actual total gun related deaths Percent
 Alaska 737,732 19.8 146.07 0.0198
 Arkansas 2,994,079 19.8 592.83 0.0198
 Louisiana 4,649,676 19.1 888.09 0.0191
 Mississippi 2,984,926 17.7 528.33 0.0177
 Alabama 4,849,377 17.5 848.64 0.0175
 Wyoming 584,153 16.7 97.55 0.0167
 Oklahoma 3,878,051 16.4 636.00 0.0164
 Montana 1,023,579 16 163.77 0.0160
 Tennessee 6,549,352 15.3 1,002.05 0.0153
 South Carolina 4,832,482 14.9 720.04 0.0149
 New Mexico 2,085,572 14.7 306.58 0.0147
 Missouri 6,063,589 14.3 867.09 0.0143
 Arizona 6,731,484 13.9 935.68 0.0139
 West Virginia 1,850,326 13.9 257.20 0.0139
 Idaho 1,634,464 13.9 227.19 0.0139
 Nevada 2,839,099 13.7 388.96 0.0137
 Kentucky 4,413,457 13.6 600.23 0.0136
 Indiana 6,596,855 12.7 837.80 0.0127
 Georgia 10,097,343 12.5 1,262.17 0.0125
 Utah 2,942,902 12.4 364.92 0.0124
 North Carolina 9,943,964 12.1 1,203.22 0.0121
 Michigan 9,909,877 11.9 1,179.28 0.0119
 Florida 19,893,297 11.8 2,347.41 0.0118
 North Dakota 739,482 11.8 87.26 0.0118
 Colorado 5,355,856 11.4 610.57 0.0114
 Kansas 2,904,021 11.3 328.15 0.0113
 Pennsylvania 12,787,209 11 1,406.59 0.0110
 Ohio 11,594,163 10.9 1,263.76 0.0109
 Oregon 3,970,239 10.9 432.76 0.0109
 Maine 1,330,089 10.6 140.99 0.0106
 Texas 26,956,958 10.5 2,830.48 0.0105
 Delaware 935,614 10.3 96.37 0.0103
 Virginia 8,326,289 10 832.63 0.0100
 Wisconsin 5,757,564 9.6 552.73 0.0096
 South Dakota 853,175 9.5 81.05 0.0095
 Maryland 5,976,407 9.4 561.78 0.0094
 Vermont 626,011 9.1 56.97 0.0091
 Nebraska 1,881,503 9 169.34 0.0090
 Illinois 12,880,580 8.4 1,081.97 0.0084
 Washington 7,061,530 8.4 593.17 0.0084
 Iowa 3,107,126 8 248.57 0.0080
 Minnesota 5,457,173 7.6 414.75 0.0076
 California 38,802,500 7.5 2,910.19 0.0075
 New Hampshire 1,326,813 6.2 82.26 0.0062
 New Jersey 8,938,175 5.7 509.48 0.0057
 Rhode Island 1,055,173 5.2 54.87 0.0052
 Connecticut 3,596,677 4.3 154.66 0.0043
 New York 19,746,227 4.1 809.60 0.0041
 Massachusetts 6,745,408 2.9 195.62 0.0029
 Hawaii 1,419,561 2.5 35.49 0.0025
A lot of people are posting statistics about gun violence. Instead of posting the raw data, they like to convert the raw data into calculated results that appear to favor their side of the argument.

Here is the same data in several charts, sorted to show how the results can be skewed.

Notice in the second chart where Arkansas and Alaska have drastically different populations, have nearly identical gun deaths per one hundred thousand people, but in reality Arkansas has more than five times the number of actual gun related deaths.

Next time someone posts statistics showing only the percentage or a value for one out of every hundred, or thousand or whatever, make sure you look at the raw data before making a judgement.

*The column for actual total gun related deaths was arrived at by reverse-calculating the numbers: Dividing the state population by one hundred thousand, then multiplying the result by the gun related deaths per one hundred thousand, this explains the second decimal numbers in column 4, If it's not totally screwed up.

No comments: