LESSON 3: CHARACTERISTICS OF A DEMOGRAPHY

Demographics are the classifiable characteristics of a given population. Demographic characteristics most commonly used in public health statistics include, age, gender, race/ethnicity, geographic area, education level and income.

• Examples include:

1. Age – age range is a way to describe a population.
2. Gender – can help understand the experiences of different genders.
3. Ethnicity – can provide insight into a population’s cultural backgrounds.
4. Education – can provide insight into a population’s knowledge base, skills, and earning power.
5. Employment – can provide insight into a population’s economic situation.
6. Marital status – can help researchers learn about people’s needs and preferences.
7. Religion – can help describe a population’s religious affiliation.
8. Political affiliation – can help describe a population’s political affiliation.
9. Nationality – can help describe a population’s nationality.
10. Birth and death rates – Demographic data that can help understand if a population is growing or shrinking.

• Demographics can include any statistical factors that influence population growth or decline, but several parameters are particularly important: population size, density, age structure, fecundity (birth rates), mortality (death rates), and sex ratio (Dodge 2006).

References: NM-IBIS; Tarsi, K. & Tuff, T. (2012) Introduction to Population Demographics. Nature Education Knowledge