Demographics
Demographics or demographic data refers to population characteristics and commonly-used factors include ethnic background, age, income, disabilities, educational attainment, home ownership, employment status, and even location. Understanding these factors and changes over time (trends) is extremely important when it comes to engaging with potential students. If you are familiar with your potential "audience", you can more successfully understand what factors may be important in their decision to enter or not formal education. If you do not know your audience, you will not meet your goals.
That is why it is important to spend time analysing the area before you start looking for potential students and identifying key groups. Each group has certain needs. They watch different television shows, read different magazines and have different aspirations in terms of their qualifications. Knowledge of what they do, what they want and what they are concerned about will help you to better engage with potential students, helping them to understand the benefits of a formal education. In short, if you know your audience, the students will follow!
Further information
- Local sources
- Up my street
- Neighbourhood statistics
- Government statistics
- General register Office for Scotland
- Identity and passport service
- European statistics
- UK data archive
- Statistical Information for Scotland
Demographics PDF
To understand why demographics is an important issue and be aware of how it can have an impact on students.