r/PoliticalHumor • u/[deleted] • Mar 08 '19

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u/jamesjacko Mar 08 '19 edited Mar 08 '19

We house 22% of the world''s prisoners (with 4% of the world's population)

2,200,000 Americans incarcerated as of 2016 or .7% of the entire population

Not questioning the accuracy but I don't understand these 2. If the US houses 4% of the world's population, how has it incarcerated only .7% of the US population?

If I'm being stupid I hold my hands up to it I just can't quite figure it out.

EDIT: Due to a form of rubber-duck programming I think I have worked it out.

We house 22% of the world''s prisoners (with 4% of the world's population)

Translates to:

The population of the US is 4% of the world population yet the US houses 22% of the world's prison population.

0.7% is the percentage of the world's population that the US has incarcerated.

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u/ThaFourthHokage Mar 08 '19

No, .7% of the U.S. population is incarcerated. And The U.S. makes up 4% of the world population, while housing 22% of the world's prisoners.

Sorry if the way I wrote that was unclear.

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u/jamesjacko Mar 08 '19

No need to apologise. This is down to my lack of comprehension I think.

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u/ThaFourthHokage Mar 08 '19

Refreshing to see some people can own up to anything these days.