For the following statement, decide whether descriptive or inferential statistics is used.

The world population is predicted to be 9 billion people in 2035.

Question

For the following statement, decide whether descriptive or inferential statistics is used.

The world population is predicted to be 9 billion people in 2035.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks us to decide whether the statement uses descriptive or inferential statistics.

First, consider what descriptive statistics do: they summarize or describe features of a data set that already exists, such as the current population size, average age, or distribution percentages. These statistics describe the data at hand rather than making claims beyond the data collected.

Now think about inferential statistics: they use sample data to make inferences or predictions about a larger population, often involving models, sampling, and probability. They allow us to estimate future values, test hypotheses, or generalize findings beyond the observed data.

In the given statement, 
"The world population is predicted to be 9 billion people in 2035," 
we are making a prediction about a future population. This relies on models, projections, and inferences drawn from current and historical data, not a simple description of a current dataset. Therefore, it falls under inferential statistics because it extends beyond the observed data to forecast a future value.

A common misconception could be to treat any forecast as descriptive because it involves numbers; however, the key distinction is the anticipatory, generalizing nature of the claim (predicting 2035 population) rather than merely summarizing present data.

If the statement were instead: "The current world population is 8.0 billion and increasing at 1% per year," that would be more descriptive or would require a descriptive snapshot plus a basic trend description, but it would still be closely tied to describing the current or past state rather than explicitly predicting an unobserved future value.

In summary, the act of predicting a future population number based on data and models is characteristic of inferential statistics, not descriptive statistics.

BU-STAT-2103-750-49509-202503 Quiz 1

For the following statement, decide whether descriptive or inferential statistics is used. The world population is predicted to be 9 billion people in 2035.

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