Were there really Three Wise Men?
More or Less
BBC
4.6 • 3.5K Ratings
🗓️ 24 December 2025
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The surprising things we learn when we count everyone - a tour of the UK census through time.
We also figure out just how many parking officers there are versus soldiers in the British army.
Who really does all the housework? Plus - 20 years of ‘Freakonomics’ with Stephen Dubner.
And finally - were there really three wise men who visited baby Jesus? And were they kings as the Christmas hymn would lead us to believe?
Presenter: Tim Harford Reporter: Lizzy McNeil Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Nathan Gower and Katie Solleveld Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound Mix: Neil Churchill Editor: Richard Vadon
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | My Christmas Mix is pure 90s festive nostalgia. |
| 0:11.1 | You know, the Christmas songs you listen to on repeat. |
| 0:14.0 | Ho! |
| 0:14.3 | Ho! Ho! No, no, no. |
| 0:17.5 | I'm all about the big hitting Christmas anthems. |
| 0:20.4 | Come on, guys. What about those tunes that really slay? It's Christmas kitchen disco season, surely. |
| 0:26.4 | Give me hip-hip-christmas bangers every day. Those Christmas tracks that are straight out of Lapland. |
| 0:30.9 | Get all kinds of Christmassy. Just search Christmas music on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:35.7 | Hello and welcome to more or less. |
| 0:37.9 | We're your weekly guide to the numbers in the news and in life. |
| 0:40.9 | And I'm Tim Harford. |
| 0:42.7 | This week, Freakonomics, Feminomics, and a sneak peek at the more or less Christmas choir rehearsal. |
| 0:50.0 | Also, you won't believe how many more parking officers than soldiers the UK has. |
| 0:55.7 | Actually, we didn't believe it either. |
| 0:58.1 | But first, this is a time of year when people's thoughts turn to the story of Mary and Joseph, |
| 1:05.2 | travelling to Bethlehem. |
| 1:06.9 | They were going to take part in a census. |
| 1:09.4 | Hey, Tim, about that? |
| 1:11.9 | No, Lizzie, we're not fact-checking that bit. |
| 1:14.1 | We're just trying to maintain a bit of seasonal atmosphere |
| 1:17.1 | before turning the corner into a discussion about the UK's next census. |
... |
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