Limitations of Statistics.

Statistics, both as a subject as well as data, is or are no doubt very useful but like any other science, statistics too has got its own limitations. Such limitations, of course, should not be confused with demerits. Every science and for that matter statistics too, can have limitations but no demerits. Limitations of statistics can be summed up as under:

• Statistics deals with characteristics which can be measured or expressed in quantitative form.
• Statistical results are true only on an average and not in absolute terms.
• Statistics as a science is not like exact sciences such as Physics, Chemistry etc. but it is only a social science.
• Statistics only provides one of the various tools employed for studying problems.
• Statistics can be misused. But it is not the fault of the statistics itself rather that of the user.