In the present study we elucidate the nature of local strain statistics evolution during tensile deformation in polycrystalline materials. A rate-independent formulation was implemented within a crystal plasticity framework by the means of representative volume element (RVE) analysis. Local elastic strain, as well as stress, were found to obey a normal distribution, whereas the statistics of local plastic strain conforms to a lognormal distribution. In line with experimental observations, the plastic strain becomes progressively localised and the local regions of large strains make significant contribution to the overall average strain increase. The results reveal the nature of strain inhomogeneity at the microscale and emphasize the fact that in metallic materials the elastic strain accumulation represents an additive process, whereas plastic deformation is a multiplicative process. Display omitted