Types of Data in Statistics

Types of Data

• Data can be classified into two main categories: qualitative and quantitative data.

Qualitative Data

• Consists of non-numerical values that describe characteristics or attributes.
• Examples: gender (women, men), hair color (blonde, brown), ethnicity (Hispanic, Asian), letter grades (A, B, C).

Quantitative Data

• Consists of numerical values that can be measured and compared.
• Can be further divided into two subcategories: discrete and continuous data.

Discrete Data

• Consists of distinct, separate values that can be counted.
• Examples: number of students in a class, number of workers in a company, number of home runs in a baseball game.

Continuous Data

• Consists of values that can take on any value within a certain range or interval.
• Examples: height of children, square footage of a two-bedroom house, speed of cars.

Nominal Data

• A type of qualitative data that has no inherent order or ranking.
• Examples: gender, hair color, ethnicity.

Ordinal Data

• A type of qualitative data that has a natural order or ranking.
• Examples: first, second, and third grades.