Statistically speaking, it’s been a year of big numbers… but can we count on you to figure out our 20 questions?
It was the year that an estimated 70,000 delegates traveled to Dubai for the COP28 climate talks, Elton John ended his final world tour after playing more than 4,000 concerts since 1970 and Novak Djokovic won a record-breaking 24th Grand Slam title.
Here, Mark Mason hosts an end-of-year statistical quiz to test your knowledge of how the numbers have developed in 2023…
Elton John performs on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington
POLITICS
1 The Right Honorable Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg MP became a presenter on GB News. How many children does he have?
a)5
b) 6
c) 7
2 The four major state offices – the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of the Interior – were occupied by a total of twelve people in 2022 (with anyone holding two jobs counted twice). What was the equivalent total for 2023?
a)4
b)5
c) 6
3 In May's local elections, 26,165 people were turned away from British polling stations because…?
a) They were drunk
b) They were at the wrong polling station
c) They did not have a valid ID
WHAT IS HIGHER?
4 A) Great Britain's ranking, out of 26 countries, at Eurovision 2023, or… B) The average British temperature (in Celsius) in June, the hottest June on record?
5 A) Elton John's age at his last concert in Britain, at Glastonbury in June, or… B) The age of fellow singer Barry Manilow, who had his birthday in June.
6 Harry Kane scored his 54th goal for England in March, overtaking whose record?
A) Wayne Rooney
B) Gary Lineker
c)Bobby Charlton
Harry Kane celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Bundesliga match between VfL Wolfsburg and FC Bayern
7 Cambridge won the 2023 Boat Race to take an 86-81 lead in overall wins. How many years has it been since Oxford conducted this count?
a) 35
B) 65
C) 95
WHO WAS IT?
8 He went from £27 million a year in Britain to £173 million a year to do the same in Saudi Arabia.
9 She lost her £5.2million-a-year job for revealing someone else's financial secrets.
10 His autobiography became the fastest-selling non-fiction book in Britain, selling 467,183 copies in its first week.
11 His funeral was in January. In 2005, he became the 265th person, and the 16th person with his name, to perform a specific task.
THE QUEENS
12 King Charles left Westminster Abbey after his coronation wearing the Imperial State Crown. How many diamonds does it contain?
a) None
b) 868
c) 2,868
King Charles III takes shelter under an umbrella as he celebrates his 75th birthday
13 Which former possession of Princess Diana sold at auction in New York for almost £900,000?
a) A car
b) A chain
c) A jumper
14 Which member of the royal family carried out 457 engagements between January and December this year, more than any other member?
a) King Charles
b) Princess Anne
c) Queen Camilla
Novak Djokoic of Serbia speaks at a press conference during the United Cup tennis tournament in Perth, Australia
REST OF THE WORLD
15 The official candidates in which country's provincial parliamentary elections in November received 99.91 percent of all votes cast?
16 Which country overtook China as the most populous country in the world, when its population reached 1,425,775,850?
17 Amid fears over the future of the Commonwealth Games after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out of hosting the 2026 event, how many countries are in the Commonwealth?
18 During a US court hearing, a judge noted that tax authorities had valued a seaside property at between £14 million and £22 million, while the owner had claimed it was worth between £334 million and £478 million. Who is the owner?
19 Whose salary is the highest: a Westminster MP, a Member of the Scottish Parliament or a Member of the Welsh Assembly?
20 What was bigger: ex-Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone's payment to His Majesty's Revenue & Customs to settle a tax case or the underlying annual profits of aerospace giant Rolls-Royce?