The etymology of Statistics – derived from New Latin statisticum collegium ("council of state") and the Italian word statista ("statesman" or "politician") – might sound rarified, meant for only few expert number crunchers. But if we go past how it sounds, it’s actually quite interesting and in fact is for everyone. For some, it might be just reserving a hotel based on the number of stars in user’s reviews or finding high school pass rates in choosing a neighborhood to start a family. For others, like us in the World Bank, it is the core of our day-to-day work.
As summarized by Justin Lin in his post, 'World Statistics Day- Realizing Dreams', World Bank has been contributing to the international statistical system for more than five decades, through various products, publications, and services. It’s about time that we designate a day to celebrate the deep connection statistics have to our lives and most importantly, to the global development agenda. And as we celebrate the first ever World Statistics Day, we couldn’t resist asking some of the prominent data compilers and users - Prof. Angus Deaton, Princeton University, Dr. Pronab Sen, former Chief Statistician of India, and Gale Muller, Vice Chairman of Gallup World Poll - about their thoughts on this remarkable day.
Join the Conversation