Statistical risk is a quantification of a situation's risk using statistical methods. These methods can be used to estimate a probability distribution for the outcome of a specific variable, or at least one or more key parameters of that distribution, and from that estimated distribution a risk function can be used to obtain a single non-negative number representing a particular conception of the risk of the situation. Statistical risk is taken account of in a variety of contexts including finance and economics, and there are many risk functions that can be used depending on the context.