demographic
deh-muh-GRAF-ik
/ˌdɛməˈɡræfɪk/
Relating to the structure of populations (adj.); a particular sector of a population (noun).
As a noun, refers to market segments or societal groups characterized by age, income, or family size.
The story behind the word. Coined in the 19th century from Greek 'demos' (the common people, as in democracy) and 'graphein' (to write/record). Literally, it means 'writing down facts about the people'.
Word relationships
- population profile: Population profile describes the snapshot of attributes, whereas demographic relates to the field or category itself.
Commonly confused with
- demography: Demography is the study of human populations; demographic is the adjective or a specific market group.
Word family
- demography (noun): The statistical study of populations.
- demographer (noun): An expert in demography.
- demographically (adverb): With respect to demographics.
Collocations
- demographic transition
- demographic shift
- target demographic
- demographic dividend
Example sentences
- "Rapid demographic shifts in urban neighborhoods required city planners to build more schools and health centers." Urban planning
Memory hook
DEMO (people) + GRAPH (chart) = charting people statistics. Demographic = mapping out population facts.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'geographic' (location-based) or 'psychographic' (attitude-based).
Fun facts
- The term 'demographic dividend' describes economic growth potential resulting from shifts in a population's age structure.
Related words
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