The term demographic refers to the characteristics of a population or a specific group of people within a population. These characteristics typically include factors such as age, income, education, ethnicity, gender, occupation, geographic location, and other social or economic attributes. Demographics are used to describe and analyze the composition and changes in populations over time
. More specifically:
- As a noun, a demographic can mean a particular group of people sharing certain characteristics, such as an age group or ethnic group (e.g., "the 25-39 demographic")
- As an adjective, demographic relates to the study or description of populations and their changes, such as birth rates, death rates, migration, and population growth
Demographic data are essential for businesses, governments, and researchers to understand population trends, plan services, create marketing strategies, and implement policies
. In summary, demographic means the statistical characteristics of human populations used to identify and analyze groups within a population and how these groups change over time.
