It's a numbers game: percentages, raw numbers, and ratios

Numbers can be surprisingly emotional for individual consumers. Combined with the ability to lie with statistics, audiences can be manipulated to arbitrary conclusions.

Three different ways to present the same observation:

• 11.1 million immigrants reside illegally in the United States
• making up about 3.5 percent of our total population
• a bit more than 3 out of 100 people are here illegally

The 11.1 million is an abstract number that's hard to imagine; it sounds like a lot!

3.5% is also a abstract concept and doesn't sound like much.

The 3 out of 100 people is relatable (you can probably think of 100 people) and again 3 out of 100 doesn't sound high.