Cross-sectional data

In statistics, cross-sectional data is a type of data collected by observing many subjects (such as individuals, firms, countries, or regions) at a single point or period of time. Analysis of cross-sectional data usually consists of comparing the differences among selected subjects, typically with no regard to differences in time. For example, if we want to measure current obesity levels in a population, we could draw a sample of 1,000 people randomly from that population (also known as a cross section of that population), measure their weight and height, and calculate what percentage of that sample is categorized as obese.

Extends: [Cross-sectional analysis](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Cross-sectional analysis), [Statistical data types](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Statistical data types)