Demographic Factors or Indicators

We explain what demographic factors or indicators are, what they are for and multiple examples. In addition, we tell you what demographics are.

What are demographic factors or indicators?

Demographic factors or indicators are statistics that provide information about the structure, dynamics and characteristics of a population. These indicators are used to analyze different aspects of human populations, such as their size, distribution, growth, age composition and gender identity, among others.

This source of information is usually of interest for different areas, such as public health, education, urban and territorial planning, employment, public safety and the environment. This responds to the fact that the statistical information on demographic indicators is fundamental for political decision making since it provides important data about the population and its characteristics.

• See also: Social geography

How is demographic information obtained?

Demographic information is obtained through different information collection methods. The main ones are:

• Censuses. They are an exhaustive compilation of information about the population of a country or region. They are usually carried out every ten years and collect data on demographic, socioeconomic and housing characteristics of people, such as age, gender identity, marital status, level of education, occupation and housing conditions.
• Surveys. They collect data from a small but representative sample of the population. They are less expensive and faster than censuses, allowing them to be carried out more frequently. The most widely used method is household surveys, which collect data on family composition, employment, education and health.
• Administrative records. They are databases that collect demographic information from official documents, such as births, deaths, marriage or immigration records. They provide updated data, which allows continuous monitoring of the indicators that are sought to be studied.

• Surveys

What is demographic data used for?

Demographic data are essential for making decisions related to public policies. They are used in areas such as:

• Health. Demographic data are used to plan and distribute health services based on the characteristics of the population. They allow specific programs to be developed for different demographic groups, such as maternal and child care or disease prevention, and to optimize the functioning of health services.
• Education. Demographic data are used to forecast future demand for educational infrastructure, identify areas with a high concentration of young population or detect access difficulties due to lack of vacancies in institutions.
• Employment. Demographic data allows us to know and understand the structure and dynamics of the workforce, which provides information for the development of employment policies.
• Territorial planning. Demographic data is used to plan the growth of cities, the distribution of public services and the construction of infrastructure, such as housing, roads and transportation systems.
• Atmosphere. Demographic data are essential to evaluate the environmental impact of population growth. They allow the identification of risks related to the population's exposure to floods or the advance of cities on natural areas, such as forests or wetlands, among others.

Examples of demographic factors

Some examples of demographic data are:

1. The age.
2. Gender identity.
3. Marital status (single, married, divorced, widowed).
4. The educational level achieved (primary, secondary, university, postgraduate).
5. The employment situation (employed or unemployed, type of employment).
6. Family income (monthly income to the home).
7. The family constitution (number of people who make up the family).
8. Ethnic identification or belonging to indigenous peoples.
9. The conditions of the housing (access to basic services, number of rooms, materials with which the house is built).
10. The country of origin of the people (native citizens or foreigners).
11. The languages ​​spoken and the level of proficiency of each one.

What are demographic changes?

Demographic changes are variations in demographic factors of a population. These changes are continuous and frequent throughout human history, and respond to numerous local, regional and global causes.

For example, the Industrial Revolution brought with it an important demographic change, which was the progressive abandonment of the population from rural areas and migration to cities. Another example is the bubonic plague epidemic in the 14th century, which caused the death of millions of people in a short time and had very important effects on the demographic composition of the population.

What is demographics?

Demographics are science that studies the size, structure, distribution and evolution of human populations. It focuses on understanding demographic phenomena to explain population dynamics and provide information for decision-making, both with regard to public and private policies.

The field of demography is divided into two main branches:

• Static demographics. Studies human populations at a specific time. Analyzes aspects that allow obtaining specific information for a specific time. It does not focus on studying past dynamics or predicting future trends.
• Dynamic demographics. Study human populations over time. It focuses on the evolution of demographic indicators and the mechanisms that modify their structure and variables, such as birth rate, mortality or migration.

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References

• Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. (sf). Definition of some demographic indicators. https://www.cepal.org/
• Institute of Statistics and Censuses of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. (sf). Demographic indicator system. https://www.estadisticaciudad.gob.ar/
• National Statistics Institute. (2023). Basic demographic indicators. https://www.ine.es/