Social　statistical　information　is　the　quantitative　description　of　social　phenomenon,　which　is　widely　used　in　our　daily　life.　However,　the　neural　activity　during　encoding　and　retrieval　of　social　statistical　information　remains　unclear.　We　examined　this　issue　in　an　fMRI　study　by　measuring　the　brain　activity　of　36　normal　subjects.　The　tasks　consisted　of　encoding　and　retrieval　the　social　statistical　information　visually　presented　in　three　forms:　text,　statistical　graph　and　statistical　graph　with　text.　At　encoding,　subjects　were　required　to　try　to　read　and　comprehend　the　meaning　of　social　statistical　information　presented　in　any　of　the　three　forms;　at　retrieval,　they　were　asked　to　make　judgments　in　regard　to　the　content　of　reading　comprehension.　The　direct　comparison　between　encoding　and　retrieval　showed　that　encoding　more　significantly　activated　the　limbic　lobe　than　retrieval;　in　contrast,　retrieval　significantly　activated　the　sub-lobar　than　encoding.　The　results　suggest　that　the　limbic　lobe　is　more　involved　in　memory　encoding　of　social　statistical　information,　whereas　the　sub-lobar　is　more　involved　in　memory　retrieval.　©　Springer-Verlag　Berlin　Heidelberg　2011.