The Piketty Affair
Economist Thomas Piketty's theories on inequality and capital have been the talk of the economic and political worlds. Is the Financial Times right that he got his numbers wrong?
Did ‘rock-star’ French economist Thomas Piketty get his numbers wrong? His theories about rising inequality and the increasing importance of capital have been the talk of the economic and political worlds this year. And part of their power has been the massive amount of data Piketty has brought together to back them.
But the Financial Times claims to have found significant problems with Piketty’s data on wealth. Tim Harford examines the FT's claims and Thomas Piketty’s response.
(Image: "Best Selling Economist Author Thomas Piketty Speaks At UC Berkeley". Credit: Getty Images)
Last on
More episodes
Broadcasts
- Fri 30 May 201418:50GMTBBC World Service Online
- Sun 1 Jun 201422:50GMTBBC World Service Online
- Mon 2 Jun 201401:50GMTBBC World Service Online
- Mon 2 Jun 201408:50GMTBBC World Service Online
Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU
Explore how numbers shape, and sometimes mislead us, with The Open University.
When can you trust statistics?
BBC Ideas discovers three easy ways to help make sense of statistics.
Podcast
![]()
More or Less
Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics used in everyday life.
