Summary statistics are essential as they provide a concise overview of a dataset, making it easier to interpret and analyze large volumes of data. They allow for the identification of key characteristics such as the central tendency (mean, median, mode), variability (range, standard deviation), and the overall distribution of data. Summary statistics simplify decision-making by offering essential insights into data patterns, trends, and outliers, making them crucial for data exploration, hypothesis testing, and drawing conclusions without needing to examine every individual data point.