diff --git a/rust/lance-encoding/src/statistics.rs b/rust/lance-encoding/src/statistics.rs
index 7d39537c4a9..b5cb65ee879 100644
--- a/rust/lance-encoding/src/statistics.rs
+++ b/rust/lance-encoding/src/statistics.rs
@@ -102,11 +102,6 @@ impl ComputeStat for FixedWidthDataBlock {
         let max_len = self.bits_per_value / 8;
         let max_len_array = Arc::new(UInt64Array::from(vec![max_len]));
 
-        let cardidinality_array = match self.bits_per_value {
-            64 | 128 => Some(self.cardinality()),
-            _ => None,
-        };
-
         // compute run count
         let run_count_array = self.run_count();
 
@@ -119,9 +114,6 @@ impl ComputeStat for FixedWidthDataBlock {
         info.insert(Stat::MaxLength, max_len_array);
         info.insert(Stat::RunCount, run_count_array);
         info.insert(Stat::BytePositionEntropy, byte_position_entropy);
-        if let Some(cardinality_array) = cardidinality_array {
-            info.insert(Stat::Cardinality, cardinality_array);
-        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -315,12 +307,30 @@ impl GetStat for AllNullDataBlock {
 
 impl GetStat for FixedWidthDataBlock {
     fn get_stat(&self, stat: Stat) -> Option<Arc<dyn Array>> {
-        let block_info = self.block_info.0.read().unwrap();
+        {
+            let block_info = self.block_info.0.read().unwrap();
 
-        if block_info.is_empty() {
-            panic!("get_stat should be called after statistics are computed.");
+            if block_info.is_empty() {
+                panic!("get_stat should be called after statistics are computed.");
+            }
+
+            if let Some(stat_value) = block_info.get(&stat) {
+                return Some(stat_value.clone());
+            }
+        }
+
+        if stat == Stat::Cardinality && (self.bits_per_value == 64 || self.bits_per_value == 128) {
+            let computed = self.cardinality();
+            let mut block_info = self.block_info.0.write().unwrap();
+            Some(
+                block_info
+                    .entry(stat)
+                    .or_insert_with(|| computed.clone())
+                    .clone(),
+            )
+        } else {
+            None
         }
-        block_info.get(&stat).cloned()
     }
 }
 
@@ -379,7 +389,7 @@ impl FixedWidthDataBlock {
         }
     }
 
-    fn cardinality(&mut self) -> Arc<dyn Array> {
+    fn cardinality(&self) -> Arc<dyn Array> {
         match self.bits_per_value {
             64 => {
                 let u64_slice_ref = self.data.borrow_to_typed_slice::<u64>();
@@ -1186,4 +1196,35 @@ mod tests {
         let actual_run_count = block.expect_single_stat::<UInt64Type>(Stat::RunCount);
         assert_eq!(actual_run_count, expected_run_count);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_fixed_width_cardinality_is_lazy() {
+        let int64_array = Int64Array::from(vec![1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1]);
+        let block = DataBlock::from_array(int64_array);
+
+        let DataBlock::FixedWidth(fixed) = &block else {
+            panic!("Expected FixedWidth datablock");
+        };
+
+        let info = fixed.block_info.0.read().unwrap();
+        assert!(info.contains_key(&Stat::DataSize));
+        assert!(info.contains_key(&Stat::BitWidth));
+        assert!(!info.contains_key(&Stat::Cardinality));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_fixed_width_cardinality_computed_on_demand() {
+        let int64_array = Int64Array::from(vec![1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1]);
+        let block = DataBlock::from_array(int64_array);
+
+        let cardinality = block.expect_single_stat::<UInt64Type>(Stat::Cardinality);
+        assert_eq!(cardinality, 3);
+
+        let DataBlock::FixedWidth(fixed) = &block else {
+            panic!("Expected FixedWidth datablock");
+        };
+
+        let info = fixed.block_info.0.read().unwrap();
+        assert!(info.contains_key(&Stat::Cardinality));
+    }
 }