IN an age defined by data, statistics have become an essential tool for making informed decisions.
On this week’s episode of ECCB Connects, Data Specialist in the Research, Statistics and Data Analytics Department, Dr Leah Sahely, reinforces the importance of statistics. She expresses the view that statistics are at the core of the most impactful decisions that affect society.
Dr Sahely explains that statistics are much more than numbers. She says they are the foundation upon which informed decisions are made. “When you go to a restaurant and want to know what is the most popular dish, that’s statistics; when businesses want to understand what their customers like and what they are buying more of, that’s statistics; even you at home looking at your budget trying to determine how much you are spending, all of that is statistics. It’s really a part of everyday life,” Dr Sahely explains.
Furthermore, the Data Specialist says that governments use statistics from different sectors such as: health, education and national security to shape public policy for the benefit of its citizens. She advises citizens and residents to take statistical gathering tools like surveys and censuses seriously, as the information that they provide play a vital role in helping to shape policy and design programmes that will affect them.