The Uncounted

By: Alex Cobham

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Paperback | 29 November 2019 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
200 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.34 x 13.72 x 2.03

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What we count matters - and in a world where policies and decisions are underpinned by numbers, statistics and data, if youâre not counted, you donât count.

Alex Cobham argues that systematic gaps in economic and demographic data not only lead us to understate a wide range of damaging inequalities, but also to actively exacerbate them. He shows how, in statistics ranging from electoral registers to household surveys and census data, people from disadvantaged groups, such as indigenous populations, women, and disabled people, are consistently underrepresented. This further marginalizes them, reducing everything from their political power to their weight in public spending decisions. Meanwhile, corporations and the ultra-rich seek ever greater complexity and opacity in their financial affairs - and when their wealth goes untallied, it means they can avoid regulation and taxation.

This brilliantly researched book shows how what we do and donât count is not a neutral or âtechnicalâ question: the numbers that rule our world are skewed by raw politics. Cobham forensically lays bare how these issues strike at the heart of our democracy, entrenching inequality and injustice â" and outlines what we can do about it.

Industry Reviews

‘In this sharply written and persuasive book, Alex Cobham contrasts the rich who benefit from being uncounted for tax and regulation purposes with the poor who are denied their rights by being uncounted for public services. Essential reading to understand and address inequality.’
Jayati Ghosh, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

‘This book is a joy to read. Original and highly persuasive, it powerfully illustrates that statistics are political, and that the failure to count is a deliberate act that disempowers the poor and unfairly benefits the rich.’
Andrew Sumner, King’s College London

"An important contribution"
Journal of Australian Political Economy

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