Bad Graphs: Is this graph doing well or badly?

30 October 2014

Take a look at the Y axis.

dc-vs-ed

It's easy to be misled by the scale. The graph from the website May2015.com  is using a logarithmic scale: the Y axis progresses 1, 10, 100, 1000 and so on rather than 1, 2, 3, 4.  The distance between 1 and 10 on the Y axis is the same as the distance between 10 and 100, but the range of numbers covered in the second interval is much greater.

This means that the columns are compressed after they pass the first tick mark (10%). Using a standard scale, the graphs look like this:

Blue AdjustedRed Adjusted

Update (31 October)

May2015 have updated the graph on their website, changing the axis to the usual scale.

Full Fact fights bad information

Bad information ruins lives. It promotes hate, damages people’s health, and hurts democracy. You deserve better.