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Many of us deal with huge amounts of information every single day. We’re constantly bombarded by facts, stats, opinions, and pieces of advice pretty much everywhere we turn online. But with so much data, some of the truly important bits of info sometimes get lost in the noise. Not all of it is pleasant.
The members of the r/AskReddit online community shared the saddest statistics they know in a couple of threads. They might give you a more nuanced perspective on the world. Scroll down to check them out, but be warned that some of these stats are quite sensitive.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
The USA incarcerates more of its own citizens both per capita and for total amounts than any other country. They jail over 400k more citizens than China, which has 4.5x the population and has zero freedom of speech and a pretty punishing government. For profit prisons is legalized slavery.
#2
If a woman becomes seriously ill, there is a 21 percent chance her husband will leave her.
If a man becomes seriously ill, there is a 3 percent chance his wife will leave him.
#3
85% of all dog attack deaths are pit bulls.
anon:
And the most likely dog to bite is the chihuahua. The main difference is a chihuahua bite tends to require a Band-Aid and a pitbull bite generally requires amputation or a blood transfusion.
Please never let us breed chihuahuas to 5 times their current size. Angry little sh*ts.
Zedrapazia 10 months ago
Pitbulls are also the most abused species of all, because of some small-dicked asshats using them as status symbols or intimidation devices. Poor mistreated animals, shelters full with them.
Facts and stats are, at times, quite counterintuitive. They sound weird. They feel like they shouldn’t work. But the findings are (usually) backed up by rigorous testing, peer reviews, follow-up studies, and meta-analyses.
You shouldn’t trust anything you stumble across online blindly without first considering its trustworthiness. At the same time, cross-referencing every single claim would eat up most of the time in your day. Not to mention how mentally exhausting it would be!
So your best bet is to do some light research if you think a fact sounds iffy. Look at multiple sources and figure out which ones you can most often rely on to get things right. Sensational headlines might get clicks and views, but they might rely on a single new study that may need more follow-up research.
#4
2 million people cause accidents every year by not switching on a turn signal.
Yeah, 2 million.
#5
Approximately 42% of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D according the NIH.
Sick all the time? Vitamin D boosts immunity. Hair falling out? Vitamin D helps stimulate new hair follicles. Are you a woman nearing menopause? Your bones need calcium and your body absorbs it poorly if you're deficient in Vitamin D.
Basically, we need the D.
#6
26,993 people committed s*icide with a firearm in the USA in 2022, representing 56% of deaths by firearm. Firearms were the leading cause of death for children and teens (ages 1-19) for the fifth straight year, with the death rate from firearms nearly doubling in the last ten years.
Crazy Person 10 months ago
Guns, I really really hate guns. People wonder why crime has increased its because of the guns. It's to easy to get them they don't check for the things like sings of suicidal thoughts or anything in the process of buying.
Broadly speaking, you want to consider the potential biases of the source making a certain claim. Try to think about what their goal might be. Are they representing a certain product or brand? Do they have any identifiable political leanings? Is there a deeper agenda behind the data?
The idea is for you to try to be as neutral as possible and to look at the facts as they are. That means removing all the emotional reactions about how you (dis)like this and that data because they (don’t) conform to your current worldview. Though we’ll never be completely unbiased, we can do our best to try to be as objective as we can. And that attitude should help us filter out much of the fake news floating around on social media and the news.
#7
The richest 1% of the world's population own more than twice as much wealth as the remaining 99%.
Marie Dahme 10 months ago
We know. They gave up avocado toast to get where they are. No other way to explain it
#8
The number of deaths caused by the smartphone while driving is 6x higher than those caused by drunk drivers.
Will Cable 10 months ago
I wonder what the figures are for vehicles with touchscreens and accidents.
#9
The US Pentagon cannot account for 63% of its defense spending.
The most reliable sources do very heavy fact-checking. They cross-reference facts and check the validity of each and every claim. They’re also very open about their potential biases.
All sources make errors from time to time. That’s inevitable. But the very best sources own up when they make a mistake—they don’t shy away from making corrections. Moreover, they’ll usually paint a nuanced and complex picture of reality. On the flip side, someone who makes the world seem overly simplistic or black-and-white is either oversimplifying things, misinterpreting reality, or wants to push a certain agenda.
#10
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation has 80% unemployment, 50% living below the poverty line, a life expectancy of 50 years (shortest in the Western Hemisphere), infant mortality rate 5 times the national average, su*cide rate 4 times the national average, 85% of families are affected by alcoholism, 25% of newborns are diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, and school dropout rate is 70%. This is in the middle of the United States.
#11
According to psychological studies, on average the late-40’s are the age when people are the least happy. Several factors contribute to this…you could be dealing with empty-nest syndrome for the first time as often at this age kids are old enough to leave home, you could be feeling the financial crunch of putting said kids through college, turning 50 soon could be weighing on your mind, there’s a likelihood you’ve lost at least one parent by this time, you could be burnt out on your career but still years away from retirement, and many women have begun going through menopause at this time.
But the good news is, people then to be much happier by the time they reach their mid-50’s, so if you’re in your late 40’s and are battling with some of these things, just hang in there.
keyboardtek 10 months ago
And then when you reach 69, you are so blissful because you can't remember the bad life you had.
#12
Approximately 1 in 7 women suffer severe post partum depression. My wife got hit by it like a truck, and we were completely unprepared. In reality the number could be significantly higher too, because it is generally not reported or acknowledged.
Cash4Psleeve 10 months ago (edited)
I would guess it’s higher than 1 in 7 unfortunately. Remember, when you seek mental health they have to write you up for something so they can bill insurance. At least in the US.
#13
Depressed people are much more accurate when it comes to self assessment. Which is depressing.
Donald 10 months ago (edited)
I spend all day with myself and I'm not a big fan of me so of course I'm going to pick apart every aspect of myself and the lack of self esteem won't let me gloss over the crappy bits of my being. Depression can lead to deep introspection that will either drive you further down the hole or can help you recognize patterns in your life that trigger your symptoms. Can be a useful side effect or a curse.
#15
1 in 6 men are likely to be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. And a lot of times it's someone you know. Be safe out there bros.
#16
According to the RAINN, only about 5% of (the estimated number of) sexual assaults will actually lead to an arrest. And only about half of THOSE lead to incarceration of the suspect. So that’s like 2.5 percent of sexual assaults being punished with jail time.
Sabrina Longo 10 months ago
But don't dismiss the importance of pressing charges. It may scare the perpetrator when suddenly faced with any consequences. It could make them not want to risk doing it again. Also a record of accusations may help getting a guilty verdict in a later rape trail.
#17
70% of former foster care youth are arrested at least once before age 26.
#18
An estimated 9 million + tons of plastic waste end up in the ocean each year.
#19
Domestic violence rates increase by 40% during sports championship seasons.
Alicia M 10 months ago
I have known several men whose entire mood and outlook on life is based on how their favorite sports team is doing, and I think that's the most ridiculous thing in the world. Sports are for entertainment and the second that you make it your life, you're going to be disappointed.
#20
Working out in any capacity decreases your likelihood of death from cardiovascular disease, dementia, and cancer by 14%, on average. This compounds over time.
Really insane when you think about how important physical activity is to human function.
#21
If a partner strangles you, the odds they will murder you within the next year increases by 750%. Also, the leading cause of death for pregnant women is homicide.
Leonie Löwenherz 10 months ago
The leading cause of pregnant women in the US is homicide, not around the globe. https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/homicide-is-a-leading-cause-of-death-in-pregnant-women-in-the-us/#:~:text=Women%20in%20the%20US%20are,experts%20in%20The%20BMJ%20today.
#22
60% of Americans will never read a book again after they graduate high school. 40% for graduate students after they receive their master's/phd.
PFD 10 months ago
Source: Pulled from my a*s? This century, Gallup polling has consistently shown the percentage of Americans not reading any book in the past year at between 16 and 18%. That's just "in the past year", not "never reads books", though I imagine a sizeable part of those who don't read a book even once in a whole a year probably don't read at all. Still, absent better evidence, it's probably closer to 10% than 60.
#23
About 20k people have been killed by Israel in Gaza in this recent war with 75% being women and children.
#24
1 in 12 addicts will actually attain life long recovery.
#25
There are more people living in the Tokyo metropolitan area than there are in the entire country of Canada.
#26
1/10 UK mothers don’t know for certain their child’s dad.
Carrie de Luka 10 months ago
OR, more likely, one in ten women put “father not known” on their child's birth certificate. If the Father wants to be on the birth certificate, and he is not married to the mother, HE HAS TO BE THERE WHEN THE BIRTH IS REGISTERED and agree. And he then gets paternal rights, and duties, in bringing up the child.
#27
Pollution from fossil fuels kills more people Every Day than nuclear power has killed in its entire history.
#28
85% of public bathroom users don't wash their hands afterwards. Since learning that I have noticed and I have never been in one for very long without hearing it myself. They come out but I don't hear water from the sink. I handle the door with the paper towel I used to dry my hands. I go to one place that only has a hand dryer, so I take my own paper towel there.
OhnoI’vebeencensored 10 months ago (edited)
I just wash my hands in my pee, such a time saver!
#29
If you made $7,000 an hour every day since the birth of Jesus Christ, you’d have made less money than Jeff Bezos.
iseefractals 10 months ago (edited)
These stats will never cease pissing me off. Almost all of Bezos "wealth" is directly tied to the value of his amazon stock, of which he retains 10.5%. This is true for almost all the much hated billionaires....they have STOCK, not 100 billion sitting in the bank. And because they are board members, or executives, they cannot sell that stock withOUT multiple levels of approval.....because if bezos decided to dump all his shares, not only would he get a fraction of a penny of the supposed value....but amazon would cease to exist, 1.5 million people would be unemployed and countless people wouldn't get their very important overnight delivery of edible underwear, twinkies and condoms. The only way they have money to spend, is either by trading stock....or taking loans out against that stock....because a loan is a debt.....that money is not taxed up until the point stock is actually sold TO COVER THE DEBT. Which is why musk paid $11 billion in taxes last year.
#30
Theres' been 392 school shootings since Columbine, which would be 24 years now.
Leonie Löwenherz 10 months ago
In the US alone there have been more than 700 school shootings reported: https://images.app.goo.gl/moDPjwKoUF32eJ588
#31
40% of all plastics produced each year are single-use only...and only 9% of plastics get recycled after disposal.
Geoffrey Scott 10 months ago
When I worked at Nestle' I was coming from the automotive sector, where 10% regrind of virgin plastic was acceptable. Suggested that to local Nestle' mgmt, you would hope they would have at least investigated it...nope. Talked to me as if I was trying to bring down the company.
#32
Half of all children living in single parent families live in poverty.
Crazy Person 10 months ago
Poverty it's self is just a really sh*ty thing all around. No one mentions how hard it is for families when going through a divorce. Financially it's just really hard. So yeah this fact sadly doesn't surprise me.
#33
If you go in cardiac arrest outside the hospital, even with first responders nearby, your chances of getting out of the hospital alive is less than 10%.
#34
There’s 2,000 active serial killers in the world right now. Also, if you were to be murdered, there’s a 1 in 3 chance the case will never be solved and the killer will never be identified. Sweet dreams
PFD 10 months ago
I wish these posts included sources - many of them sound as credible as wot a bloke in the pub told me. According to a Home Office report (Morgan et al 2020), the UK homicide clearance rate is around 80%, though I found a poorly sources claim that it's fallen dramatically. A study comparing four Western European countries (Liem et al 2018) found similar or better rates. It's much worse in the US, with recent FBI stats reportedly putting it around 50%, down from about 65%... Whatever, the point is that these "SHOCKING FACTS" would be a lot more interesting if they were backed up by evidence. As it is, it's more a list of "what's something you remember hearing somewhere and that sounds like it's probably true to you?"
#35
Up to 80 percent of falls in the home occur in the bathroom and about 1 person in the U.S. dies every day from a bathroom-related injury occurring in either the bathtub or the shower.
Red Foreman 10 months ago
A few years ago the misses fell with her hand landing in the toilet and being broken.
#36
In reference to ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) scores used to evaluate exposure to childhood trauma: “Having any ACE is associated with an increased risk for s*icide. The odds of ever attempting suicide are 30 times higher for adults with four or more ACEs compared to adults with no ACEs.” (Source: CDC) (For the record, my ACE score is 8.)
#37
Only 65% of people have access to internet.
Will Cable 10 months ago
So annoying when governments and utility company expect you to do all the contract via internet. There are still places that can't even get 3G access in cities
#38
The USA scored a 69 for its latest CPI (Corruption Perception Index) which means America is more corrupt than a lot of countries.
censorshipsucks 10 months ago
corruption PERCEPTION index. It means how corrupt other people think you are. I worked in this area. There are a number of factors involved in calculating it.
#39
On average, 79% of U.S. adults nationwide are literate in 2023. 21% of adults in the US are illiterate in 2023. 54% of adults have a literacy below a 6th-grade level (20% are below 5th-grade level).
mommamarmar 10 months ago
Thanks, No Child Left Behind. An excellent idea on paper, rubbish in practice because they have to simply push kids along whether they're capable of performing in the next grade or not.
#40
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, an estimated 7 million hectares of forest are lost each year.
What do you think ?
Awkward lady 10 months ago
Too vague, too USA centred, a lazy, cut and paste list! Come on BP, try harder!
Weasel Wise 10 months ago
You say "try harder" as if they made an effort to begin with.
Load More Replies...
Sugar Shack 10 months ago
68% of the statistics in this list are either wrong, unverifiable, made up or out of date. Which is better than the last time a similar list was posted- in that case it was 71%.
Papa 10 months ago
After reading this I understand why it says "bad statistics" in the title of the article. It's because so many of them are wildly inaccurate.
ninjaTrashPandaBoom 10 months ago
There were horrible. Most of these "statistics" were probably just numbers the OPs pulled out of thin air. Complete rubbish.
Load More Replies...
Boootifull Unicorn 10 months ago
A lot of these seem very specific to certain country's, and we're just supposed to know which ones. Also, no sources?
Dak Janiels 10 months ago
The number of these *informative* posts with statements saying "most", "about", "estimated" and "likely" show how random and biased opinions really are, and have no business being shared as "facts".
BookFanatic 10 months ago
Sources, people! Plus, everyone knows that at least 39% of all statistics are made up.
Flora Porter 10 months ago
Gave up reading: these need sources and sometimes context (eg applies to world vs US).
Adam Michael 10 months ago
Lol you can tell its American centric, wouldn't touch opioid or gun stats with a world sized poll.
Awkward lady 10 months ago
Too vague, too USA centred, a lazy, cut and paste list! Come on BP, try harder!
Weasel Wise 10 months ago
You say "try harder" as if they made an effort to begin with.
Load More Replies... Sugar Shack 10 months ago
68% of the statistics in this list are either wrong, unverifiable, made up or out of date. Which is better than the last time a similar list was posted- in that case it was 71%.
Papa 10 months ago
After reading this I understand why it says "bad statistics" in the title of the article. It's because so many of them are wildly inaccurate.
ninjaTrashPandaBoom 10 months ago
There were horrible. Most of these "statistics" were probably just numbers the OPs pulled out of thin air. Complete rubbish.
Load More Replies... Boootifull Unicorn 10 months ago
A lot of these seem very specific to certain country's, and we're just supposed to know which ones. Also, no sources?
Dak Janiels 10 months ago
The number of these *informative* posts with statements saying "most", "about", "estimated" and "likely" show how random and biased opinions really are, and have no business being shared as "facts".
BookFanatic 10 months ago
Sources, people! Plus, everyone knows that at least 39% of all statistics are made up.
Flora Porter 10 months ago
Gave up reading: these need sources and sometimes context (eg applies to world vs US).
Adam Michael 10 months ago
Lol you can tell its American centric, wouldn't touch opioid or gun stats with a world sized poll.
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