2017 IN SEVEN CHARTS – Democratic Women of the Desert

Courtesy Mona Chalabi, Guardian US data editor, December 29, 2017

When we try to remember 2017 (or more likely, try to forget it), there is a list of names and places that immediately come to mind: Trump, Weinstein, and Las Vegas, where the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history happened. But what were the broader trends of the year? Here we try to understand the context in which the headlines happened.

Wage inequality still persistent

In the US, the gender wage gap remains stubborn but so does the racial wage gap (which is much more frequently overlooked). Read more here.

The gender wage gap varies depending on where you work, how old you are, your educational status and your race or ethnicity. Illustration: Mona Chalabi

In the US, guns have been more deadly than war

It can feel as though the gun debate is stuck on repeat while the number of people affected by gun violence just keeps on rising. Read more here.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1994 (gun death data), Congressional Research Service, 2010 (conflict deaths). Numbers updated by Politifact in 2015. Illustration: Mona Chalabi

The sexual harassment you didn’t hear about

Twenty-seventeen was the year that several sexual harassment allegations received widespread coverage. But those cases (most often accusing celebrities) are only the tip of the iceberg; most cases are never reported, let alone brought to justice. Read more here.

Seventy percent of sexual harassment incidents go unreported. Data: YouGov, 2013. Illustration: Mona Chalabi

Transgender discrimination in the military

Trans activists became more prominent this year, because (or despite the fact that) Trump announced a ban ï¿½ not yet enacted ï¿½ on transgender individuals serving in the military. The context of that decision might surprise you ï¿½ compared with the general population, transgender people in America are 2.3 times more likely to serve in the military. And theyï¿½re 8.7 times more likely to have attempted suicide at some point in their lives. Read more here.

Transgender people in America are 2.3 more likely to serve in the military, compared with the general population. Illustration: Mona Chalabi

Pet transport made headlines, but the trends varied by airline

After Simon the giant rabbit died on a United Airlines flight, there was renewed scrutiny of the company (which had already been criticised for dragging a passenger from a flight in April). I looked into DoT statistics which showed that 26 animals died while being transported on planes in 2016, a rate of 0.5 per 10,000 animals transported. Itï¿½s a rare occurrence but one where the probability varies by airlines. Read more here.

Source: Department of Transportation, 2016. Illustration: Mona Chalabi

Terrorism remained relatively rare

In November, a terrorist incident in Manhattan resulted in eight people being killed and 12 wounded. The incident was shocking in its violence but also its location ï¿½ the vast majority of fatalities happen outside of the west. Read more here.

Source: Global Terrorism Database. Illustration: Mona Chalabi

Trump’s popularity didn’t waver much

Despite all this, despite everything that happened this year, Trump was just as popular in November 2017 as he was in November 2016. Read more here.

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Trump’s popularity one year on – video