Editing Demographic statistics (section)

{{Short description|Measures of the characteristics of, or changes to, a population}}
'''Demographic statistics''' are measures of the characteristics of, or changes to, a population. Records of births, deaths, marriages, immigration and emigration and a regular census of population provide information that is key to making sound decisions about national policy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Statista - The Statistics Portal |url=https://www.statista.com/markets/411/topic/446/demographics/ |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Demographics: How to Collect, Analyze, and Use Demographic Data |url=https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/demographics.asp |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=Investopedia |language=en}}</ref>

A useful summary of such data is the [[population pyramid]]. It provides data about the sex and age distribution of the population in an accessible graphical format.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Population Pyramid |url=https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/population-pyramid |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=education.nationalgeographic.org |language=en}}</ref>

Another summary is called the [[life table]]. For a ''cohort'' of persons born in the same year, it traces and projects their life experiences from birth to death. For a given cohort, the proportion expected to survive each year (or decade in an ''abridged life table'') is presented in tabular or graphical form.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-07-21 |title=Life Table: Meaning, Types and Importance |url=https://www.sociologydiscussion.com/demography/population-growth/life-table-meaning-types-and-importance/3030 |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=Sociology Discussion - Discuss Anything About Sociology |language=en-US}}</ref>

The ratio of males to females by age indicates the consequences of differing mortality rates on the sexes. Thus, while values above one are common for newborns, the ratio dwindles until it is well below one for the older population.