What is the basic function of statistics?

(1) Information function: Statistical information function refers to the function of statistics with information service, that is, collecting, sorting and analyzing statistical data systematically to obtain statistical data, and then refining and screening them repeatedly on the basis of statistical data to provide a large number of valuable statistical information with quantitative description as the basic feature, thus serving the society.

(2) Consultation function: The statistical function refers to providing various alternative consultation suggestions and countermeasures for scientific decision-making and management by using the rich statistical information resources that have been mastered, and conducting in-depth comprehensive analysis and special research.

(3) Supervision function: Statistical supervision function refers to the function that statistics can reveal the deviation in social and economic operation, so that social and economic operation does not deviate from the normal track, that is, the statistical department can reveal the deviation in social and economic decision-making and its implementation through quantitative inspection, economic monitoring, early warning index system and other means, so that social and economic decision-making and its implementation can be carried out in accordance with the requirements of objective laws.

These three functions are interrelated and complement each other. Statistical information function is the most basic function of statistics, and it is the guarantee for the functions of statistical consultation and statistical supervision to play their roles. The strengthening of statistical consultation and statistical supervision functions will in turn promote the optimization of statistical information functions.