Limitations of Statistics

 Limitation of Statistics

The following are some of its important limitations:

1.      Statistics ignores qualitative aspects: Statistics, being a science dealing with a set of numerical data, is applicable to the study of only those subjects of enquiry which are capable of quantitative measurement. As such, qualitative phenomena like honesty, poverty, culture, etc. which cannot be expressed numerically, are not capable of direct statistical analysis. However, statistical techniques may be applied indirectly by first reducing the qualitative expressions to precise qualitative terms. For example, the intelligence of a group of candidates can be studied on the basis of their scores in a certain test.

2.      Statistics does not study individuals: Statistics deals with an aggregate of objects and does not give any specific recognition to the individual items of a series. Individual items, taken separately, do not constitute statistical data and are meaningless for any statistical enquiry. For example, the individual figures of agricultural production, industrial output or national income of any country for a particular year are meaningless.

3.      Statistical laws are not exact: Unlike the laws of physical and natural sciences, statistical laws are only approximations and not exact. Statistical conclusions are not universally true-they are true only on an average.

4.      Statistics is liable to be misused:  Perhaps the most important limitation of Statistics is that it must be used by experts. As the saying goes, “Statistical methods are the most dangerous tools in the hands of the inexpert. Statistics is one of those sciences whose adepts must exercise the self- restraint of an artist”. The use of statistical tools by inexperienced and untrained persons might lead to false conclusions.

As Kings says, “Statistics are like clay of which one can make god or devil as one pleases”.