A statistical variable is each of the characteristics or qualities that the individuals of a population possess.
Types of Statistical Variables
Nominal categorical variables are non-numerical forms that do not admit an order criterion. For example:
The marital status of the population with the following forms: single, married, separated, divorced and widower.
An ordinal qualitative variable represents non-numerical forms, in which there is an order. For example:
Test grades: fail, satisfactory, good, outstanding.
Sports Medals: gold, silver, bronze.
A quantitative variable is expressed in numerical form, therefore arithmetic operations can be performed. There are two types:
A discrete variable does not admit intermediate values between two specific numbers. It is represented by whole integer values. For example:
The number of brothers of 5 friends: 2, 1, 0, 1, 3.
A continuous variable can take values between two numbers. For example:
The height of 5 friends measured in meters : 1.73, 1.82, 1.77, 1.69, 1.75.