Explain the limitations of statistics in your own words

Limitations of Statistics:

1. Statistics does not deal with qualitative data. It deals only with quantitative data: Statistical methods can be applied only to numerically expressed data. Qualitative characteristics can be studied only if an alternative method of numerical measurement is introduced.

2. Statistics does not deal with individual fact: Statistical methods can be applied only to aggregate of facts. Single fact cannot be statistically studied.

3. Statistical inferences (conclusions) are not exact: Statistical inferences are true only on an average. They are probabilistic statements.

4. Statistics can be misused: Increasing misuse of Statistics has led to increasing distrust in statistics.

5. Common men cannot handle statistics properly: Only statisticians can handle statistics properly. An illogical analysis of statistical data leads to statistical fallacies.


Statistics is a mathematical science pertaining to the collection, analysis, interpretation or explanation, and presentation of data. It is applicable to a wide variety of academic disciplines, from the physical and social sciences to the humanities. Statistics are also used for making informed decisions.
Statistical methods can be used to summarize or describe a collection of data; this is called descriptive statistics. In addition, patterns in the data may be modeled in a way that accounts for randomness and uncertainty in the observations, and then used to draw inferences about the process or population being studied; this is called inferential statistics. Both descriptive and inferential statistics comprise applied statistics. There is also a discipline called mathematical statistics, which is concerned with the theoretical basis of the subject.