demographics
C1Formal, Academic, Business, Technical
Definition
Meaning
The statistical characteristics of a human population, such as age, gender, income, education, and location.
The study and analysis of population data; also used to refer to a specific segment of a population defined by these characteristics.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Used almost exclusively as a plural noun (e.g., 'the demographics are changing'), though informally can be treated as a singular collective (e.g., 'the demographics of the area is young'). Refers to quantifiable, measurable data about groups.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Spelling of related terms may differ (e.g., analyse/analyze).
Connotations
Neutral in both varieties, associated with market research, social planning, and policy.
Frequency
Equally common in formal and professional contexts in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Verb + demographics: analyse, study, examine, target, understandVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms specific to this word]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Essential for market segmentation, product placement, and advertising strategy.
Academic
Central to sociology, human geography, economics, and public health research.
Everyday
Used in discussions about neighbourhood changes, school enrolment, or voting patterns.
Technical
Precise data used in actuarial science, urban planning, and epidemiological modelling.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The council plans to demographically profile the new housing estate.
- Companies are increasingly demographicising their customer base.
American English
- The campaign demographicized the electorate to focus its efforts.
- We need to demographicize our outreach for better efficiency.
adverb
British English
- The city is changing demographically.
- The study analysed the neighbourhood demographically.
American English
- The region is shifting demographically.
- They targeted the audience demographically.
adjective
British English
- They conducted a demographic analysis of the borough.
- Demographic shifts are affecting the NHS.
American English
- The demographic breakdown revealed key insights.
- Demographic trends are a primary concern for Social Security.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Our town has many young people in its demographics.
- The demographics of the school show more pupils are learning English as an additional language.
- Advertisers carefully study the demographics of their target audience before launching a campaign.
- The rapidly changing demographics of the workforce necessitate new policies on lifelong learning and retirement.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: DEMO (people) + GRAPHICS (charts/pictures) = pictures of the people, i.e., statistical charts about a population.
Conceptual Metaphor
A POPULATION IS A MAP (to be charted and analysed); A MARKET IS A TARGET (demographics help aim).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'демография' (demography, the scientific study itself). 'Demographics' refers to the data/results, not the discipline. Use 'демографические данные' or 'демографические показатели' for closer accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a singular countable noun (e.g., 'a demographic' – incorrect for the data set; correct for a single characteristic). Treating it as synonymous with 'geography' or 'culture'.
- Incorrect verb agreement: 'The demographics shows' instead of 'The demographics show'.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT typically considered a demographic?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is technically a plural noun ('The demographics are favourable'), though in informal contexts it is sometimes treated as a singular collective entity.
'Demography' is the scientific study of human populations. 'Demographics' refers to the statistical data (the results) from that study or the characteristics of a specific population segment.
Yes, but it means 'a single demographic characteristic' (e.g., age is a demographic) or, more commonly, 'a demographic group' (e.g., the 18-24 demographic). It is not used for the full set of data.
Primarily yes, for human populations. It is occasionally used metaphorically for non-human populations (e.g., 'the demographics of a forest's animal species'), but this is an extension of the core meaning.
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