A communication statistic information collection apparatus comprises a unit for searching a flow table for a flow entry corresponding to a searching key, a unit for collecting statistics information for each of flows, a unit for generating a packet for notifying a collector apparatus of stored statistics information, a unit for updating the flow table in accordance with statistics control information shown by a statistics control entry found as a result of searching the flow table, and a unit for generating a sample packet to be transferred to the collect or apparatus at a specified sampling rate in accordance with the statistics control information shown by a specified entry found from the flow table.