Datasets & Statistics - What's the Difference?
The difference is that datasets are presented to you in full - all available variables in one file - for you to manipulate, aggregate and create descriptive statistics as needed. Statistics are presented in an aggregate form already such as a table of frequencies, means, rates, or visualized as a chart or graph.
When would you use one over the other?
When you want quick facts for a presentation or paper (typically used to strengthen a point), you would use typically use readily-available or easily created statistics (we have lots of table building tools). Just make sure you cite them properly. If you're planning to test a hypothesis, develop a comprehensive marketing strategy, assess the effect of a particular treatment - essentially anything that would require in-depth analysis - then you need a dataset.