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Types of Data
Data is information that is collected, stored, and analysed to make decisions, solve problems, or generate insights.
Understanding the types of data is essential because it determines how data is collected, stored, processed, and analysed.
Broadly, data can be classified based on its nature and its structure.

Types of Data Based on Nature

Data based on nature is classified into Textual Data (Qualitative Data) and Numeric Data (Quantitative Data).

Types of Data Based
on Nature

Textual Numeric

Continuous Discrete

Nominal Data Ordinal Data

Textual Data (Qualitative Data)
Textual data is information expressed in words, letters, or sentences rather than numbers. It is primarily used for
categorisation, description, or classification. Textual data helps in understanding the characteristics or qualities of an
object, person, or event.
Textual data is further divided into two types of data, which are as follows:
u Nominal data: Nominal data consists of categories or names that cannot be ordered or ranked. It is used to label or
classify information into groups where the order does not matter.
Examples of nominal data include gender (Male/Female), blood type (A, B, AB, O), or types of fruits like Apple, Banana,
and Mango.
u Ordinal data: Ordinal data also consists of categories, but unlike nominal data, these categories have a meaningful
order or ranking. Ordinal data is often used to measure opinions, preferences, or levels where the sequence is important.
Examples include education levels (Elementary, Middle, High School, College), job positions (Manager, Supervisor,
Employee), and customer satisfaction ratings (Poor, Average, Good, Excellent).
Numeric Data (Quantitative Data)

Numeric data consists of information represented in numbers. This type of data can be measured or counted, making it
suitable for mathematical and statistical analysis.

Numeric data is further divided into two types of data, which are as follows:
u Continuous data: Continuous data is numeric data that can take any value within a given range, including decimals. It
is measurable and is commonly used for statistical calculations like mean, median, standard deviation, and correlation.
Examples of continuous data include height, weight, temperature, time, and the dimensions of a room.
u Discrete data: Discrete data is numeric data consisting of distinct, countable values that cannot be meaningfully
subdivided. Discrete data is often used to count items or occurrences.
Examples include the number of students in a class, the number of books on a shelf, or the number of cars in a parking lot.

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