A nationwide survey presented at the 2025 Joint Statistical Meetings in Nashville found significant gaps in statistical literacy among American adults. According to researchers from Penn State University and the National Institutes of Health, one-quarter of the 1,000 survey respondents reported having no understanding of statistics, while 37% reported only limited familiarity with the subject. Slightly more than one-quarter said they had learned some statistics in school.
Despite these gaps, the survey revealed strong interest in improving statistical knowledge. Nine out of 10 participants said they would use statistics more if they possessed greater understanding.
The survey specifically examined whether people understood p-values, a statistical tool used to evaluate research results. According to the researchers, a p-value indicates the strength of statistical evidence in a study—the smaller the p-value, the greater the statistical evidence. However, many respondents acknowledged confusion about this concept.
“While statistics are not hard to understand, they are even easier to misunderstand,” said researcher Ramos. “Fortunately, concepts in statistics are grounded in intuition and rationality. So, a basic but thoughtful introduction to these concepts can help people understand their own thinking better.”
Ramos emphasized that statistical literacy has become increasingly important in contemporary life. “Understanding and evaluating the quality of evidence should be within reach of any interested citizen,” he said. “Statistical literacy is critical when research is invoked in news reports, social media or policy debates that affect people’s lives.”
The research was conducted after a market-research and survey company solicited questions from attendees at the 2025 Joint Statistical Meetings to include in a nationwide survey given to a representative sample of the U.S. population. Ramos and his co-author, Samuel Anyaso-Samuel, a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute, submitted two questions for the study: “How much do you understand about statistics and p-values?” and “How often would you base decisions on reported statistics if you understood it better?”
Ramos noted that statistics does not provide certainty but rather “works with the uncertainty present in nature and society to provide a reasonable approach for making decisions.” He suggested that improved statistical understanding could help people become more informed consumers of science and better evaluate when to trust or mistrust statistical evidence they encounter.
For those interested in learning statistics, free resources are available online, including course materials from Penn State’s STAT 200: Elementary Statistics course, which is offered as a free educational resource even to those not formally enrolled.
Key facts
- One-quarter of surveyed adults reported having no understanding of statistics
- 37% reported limited familiarity with statistics
- Nine out of 10 survey participants said they would use statistics more with better understanding
- The survey included 1,000 Americans and was presented at the 2025 Joint Statistical Meetings
- Free online resources like Penn State’s STAT 200 are available to help improve statistical literacy