School spending, excess deaths and billions of animals at Heathrow

Published: Feb. 28, 2024, 9:30 a.m.

Is school funding at record levels as the education secretary claimed? Why did the ONS change how they measure excess deaths? Is there a shoplifting epidemic? Did 6.5bn creatures arrive in the UK by plane last year?

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news.

Presenter: Tim Harford\nProducers: Nathan Gower, Perisha Kudhail, Debbie Richford and Olga Smirnova\nSeries producer: Tom Colls\nProduction co-ordinator: Katie Morrison\nSound mix: Sarah Hockley\nEditor: Richard Vadon