Thursday, April 22, 2004

Lies, damn lies and statistics

"Väestörekisterikeskuksen tilastojen mukaan viime vuonna lähes 18 prosenttia avioituneista piti oman sukunimensä. " ("According to the population register, almost 18% of people who got married last year kept their own last name.") Funny, I thought most of them did. Even when there used to be a law demanding that wives take husbands' names about 50% of the people getting married kept their own names. Now it's 59% then.

Yeah, of course I understand what they really meant and so does probably everyone else. But it makes me wonder how many statistical data that is not quite as obvious is presented in a similarly sloppy way.


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