grammaticality - Is "statistics" singular or plural?

• Statistics shows that people are having fewer children these days!


• Statistics show that people are having fewer children these days!

Which one is grammatical?

Answer

When considering the 'discipline of statistics' as a field of study or body of knowledge, it is singular:

Statistics shows that people are having fewer children these days!

When considering the figures from statistical data, as is often the case in comparative analysis, the figures themselves may be regarded as 'statistics', hence plural:

Statistics show that people are having fewer children these days!

Both are correct. It depends on the context and the author's intent.