Quantities in statistics: absolute, relative, average, their application in comparing populations

Statistics enables a means for understanding and comparing populations, regardless of whether that population is composed of people, animals, economic states or conditions or anything else that can be counted and measured. Statisticians utilize absolute, relative, and average measures, and each type of quantity provides a different perspective on raw data. Each of these three measures serves a different purpose; with careful consideration, statisiticians can make meaningful comparisons across populations through their application. The discussion below will review statistical quantities and uses in assessing population data. This publication explores the significance of absolute, relative, and average quantities in statistical analysis, in relation to their use when comparing populations. Absolute quantities provide numbers, providing a basic perspective about scope, relative quantities are adjusted for context, allowing comparisons to be equitable amongst disparate groups (i.e. rates and percentages), and average quantities, such as mean, median and modal figures represent summaries of information in summary, and in a sense of trend.