Marketing Research and Insight Glossary

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

What is demography?

Research Topics:
Demographic Analysis | Demographic Database
Content Type:
Glossary
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Demography Definition

A social science concerned with the size, distribution, structure and change of populations.

Demography is the social science study and analysis of population characteristics like age, gender, income, education, occupation, ethnicity, geographic location and changes in population. In marketing research, insights from the study creates understanding of the composition of target markets, as well as consumer behaviors, preferences and buying patterns. In other words, demography is fundamental for making informed and data-driven marketing decisions.

Who relies on demography?

Marketing professionals, advertisers and businesses look to demography to learn and understand the makeup of their target audiences. Insights can be used to develop and enhance products, services and communications with customer segments. What’s more, the data can help spot emerging trends and changing dynamics within target markets.

Why should I care about demography?

Knowledge gained through demography helps marketing professionals and businesses develop better targeted and relevant marketing campaigns. By knowing the characteristics of potential customers, marketing professionals can develop messages, products and services that resonate with customers, which lead to better business outcomes.