Statistics - Data Types

Data can be different types, and require different types of statistical methods to analyze.

Different types of data

There are two main types of data: Qualitative (or 'categorical') and quantitative (or 'numerical'). These main types also have different sub-types depending on their measurement level.

Qualitative Data

Information about something that can be sorted into different categories that can't be described directly by numbers.

Examples:

• Brands
• Nationality
• Professions

With categorical data we can calculate statistics like proportions. For example, the proportion of Indian people in the world, or the percent of people who prefer one brand to another.

Quantitative Data

Information about something that is described by numbers.

Examples:

• Income
• Age
• Height

With numerical data we can calculate statistics like the average income in a country, or the range of heights of players in a football team.