Test with default setting CREATE TABLE t (a INT, PRIMARY KEY (a)) ENGINE=INNODB; SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_table_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 1 SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_index_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 3 FLUSH TABLE t; DELETE FROM mysql.innodb_index_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; DELETE FROM mysql.innodb_table_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_table_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 0 SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_index_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 0 SELECT * FROM t; SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_table_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 1 SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_index_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 3 DROP TABLE t; Test with explicit enable CREATE TABLE t (a INT, PRIMARY KEY (a)) ENGINE=INNODB STATS_AUTO_RECALC=1; SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_table_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 1 SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_index_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 3 FLUSH TABLE t; DELETE FROM mysql.innodb_index_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; DELETE FROM mysql.innodb_table_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_table_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 0 SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_index_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 0 SELECT * FROM t; SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_table_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 1 SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_index_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 3 DROP TABLE t; Test with explicit disable CREATE TABLE t (a INT, PRIMARY KEY (a)) ENGINE=INNODB STATS_AUTO_RECALC=0; SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_table_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 1 SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_index_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 3 FLUSH TABLE t; DELETE FROM mysql.innodb_index_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; DELETE FROM mysql.innodb_table_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_table_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 0 SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_index_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 0 SELECT * FROM t; SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_table_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 0 SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.innodb_index_stats WHERE table_name = 't'; COUNT(*) 0 DROP TABLE t;