diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/chart/ChartInterface.ts b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/chart/ChartInterface.ts
index b99f3d1b578..3633c46bd00 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/chart/ChartInterface.ts
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/chart/ChartInterface.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ export interface ChartInterface {
     // Todo: should all charts additionally have a placedSeries: ChartPlacedSeries[] getter?
 
     transformTable: ChartTableTransformer
+    transformTableForDisplay?: ChartTableTransformer
 
     yAxis?: HorizontalAxis | VerticalAxis
     xAxis?: HorizontalAxis | VerticalAxis
diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/core/Grapher.tsx b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/core/Grapher.tsx
index 796c707b348..ee0db93d4c9 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/core/Grapher.tsx
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/core/Grapher.tsx
@@ -653,6 +653,15 @@ export class Grapher
         return this.xAxis.toObject()
     }
 
+    // table that is used for display in the table tab
+    @computed get tableForDisplay(): OwidTable {
+        const table = this.table
+        if (!this.isReady || !this.isOnTableTab) return table
+        return this.chartInstance.transformTableForDisplay
+            ? this.chartInstance.transformTableForDisplay(table)
+            : table
+    }
+
     @computed get tableForSelection(): OwidTable {
         // This table specifies which entities can be selected in the charts EntitySelectorModal.
         // It should contain all entities that can be selected, and none more.
diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/dataTable/DataTable.tsx b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/dataTable/DataTable.tsx
index 8f55934ae5a..afdf2e77349 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/dataTable/DataTable.tsx
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/dataTable/DataTable.tsx
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ const inverseSortOrder = (order: SortOrder): SortOrder =>
     order === SortOrder.asc ? SortOrder.desc : SortOrder.asc
 
 export interface DataTableManager {
-    table: OwidTable
+    table: OwidTable // not used here, but required in type `ChartManager`
+    tableForDisplay: OwidTable
     entityType?: string
     endTime?: Time
     startTime?: Time
@@ -131,7 +132,7 @@ export class DataTable extends React.Component<{
     }
 
     @computed get table(): OwidTable {
-        let table = this.manager.table
+        let table = this.manager.tableForDisplay
         if (this.manager.showSelectionOnlyInDataTable) {
             table = table.filterByEntityNames(
                 this.selectionArray.selectedEntityNames
@@ -144,6 +145,7 @@ export class DataTable extends React.Component<{
         return (
             this.props.manager ?? {
                 table: BlankOwidTable(),
+                tableForDisplay: BlankOwidTable(),
                 entityType: DEFAULT_GRAPHER_ENTITY_TYPE,
             }
         )
diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/scatterCharts/ScatterPlotChart.tsx b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/scatterCharts/ScatterPlotChart.tsx
index 2e528a34539..4ecd3111312 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/scatterCharts/ScatterPlotChart.tsx
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/scatterCharts/ScatterPlotChart.tsx
@@ -265,6 +265,22 @@ export class ScatterPlotChart
         return table
     }
 
+    transformTableForDisplay(table: OwidTable): OwidTable {
+        // Drop any rows which have non-number values for X or Y.
+        table = table
+            .columnFilter(
+                this.xColumnSlug,
+                isNumber,
+                "Drop rows with non-number values in X column"
+            )
+            .columnFilter(
+                this.yColumnSlug,
+                isNumber,
+                "Drop rows with non-number values in Y column"
+            )
+        return table
+    }
+
     @computed get inputTable(): OwidTable {
         return this.manager.table
     }