Marketing Research and Insight Glossary

Definitions, common uses and explanations of 1,500+ key market research terms and phrases.

What is demographic analysis?

Research Topics:
Demographic Analysis | Demographic Profiles
Content Type:
Glossary
Share Print

Demographic Analysis Definition

The systematic study of human population characteristics including size, growth rates, density, distribution, migration, birth rates and mortality rates so that its meaning, structure, relationships, origins, etc., are understood.

Demographic analysis is the study and interpretation of human population characteristics – size, growth rates, density, distribution, migration, birth rates, mortality, gender, income, education, marital status, occupation and more – so that meaning, structure, relationships and origins of the population can be understood. In market research, the analysis provides insights into consumer behavior, preferences and target audiences.  What’s more, studying demographics helps companies avoid wasteful spending and allocate resources effectively.

Who relies on demographic analysis?

Businesses, marketing professionals and advertisers conduct demographic analysis for various reasons, such as to improve their products, services and campaigns to specific consumer segments, to identify and understand their target audience's characteristics and to create more effective and relevant marketing strategies. Simply put, marketing professionals and businesses rely on demographic analysis to learn more about customers and their wants and needs.

Why should I care about demographic analysis?

Demographic analysis enables marketing professionals and businesses to learn characteristics about potential customers. That data can be relied upon to create products and services, construct messages and marketing channels that resonate with target audiences and enhance engagement with consumers.