statistics (n.) Look up statistics at Dictionary.com
1770, "science dealing with data about the condition of a state or community," from German Statistik, popularized and perhaps coined by German political scientist Gottfried Aschenwall (1719-1772) in his "Vorbereitung zur Staatswissenschaft" (1748), from Modern Latin statisticum (collegium) "(lecture course on) state affairs," from Italian statista "one skilled in statecraft," from Latin status (see state (n.1)). Meaning "numerical data collected and classified" is from 1829. Abbreviated form stats first recorded 1961.