Glossary:Time series

From Statistics Explained

A time series is a sequence of data which shows how the value of a variable changes over time. Normally such data are collected on a regular periodic basis.

Examples of time series are:

• the hourly change in a stock market index over a week;
• the monthly change in the amount of rainfall during a given year;
• the annual change in the birth rate in the EU over a decade.

Related concepts

• Seasonal adjustment
• Working-day adjustment

Source

• UK Office for National Statistics
• OECD glossary of statistical terms
• The Economist glossary