Population Mean is the most important concept of Statistics, which is the study of collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting data in an organized way. The population mean gives a quick snapshot of what the "typical" value of the population look like. Whether you are analyzing your exam score or the height of a student, the mean simplifies a large set of data.

The population mean, denoted by the Greek symbol 'μ', is the average of all the values in a population. It is a measure of central tendency that provides a single value representing the centre of the distribution of the population data. The population mean can be calculated by the sum of all values in the given data/population divided by the total number of values in the given data/population. We can call the sum of numbers a single-term Summation.
Population Mean Formula
Let X be the variable that holds data then,
Population Mean (μ) = ∑X / Na
where,
- ∑X is the Summation of X
- N is the Number of X
Application of the Population Mean Formula
- Academic Grading - Calculate the average score to assess class performance.
- Quality Control - Monitors product consistency using average measurement.
- Healthcare- Track patient data like average BMI or blood pressure.
- Economic Analysis - Studies income, inflation, and Stock prices.
Steps to Calculate Population Mean
To calculate the population mean, follow the steps added below:
- Step 1: Find the total sum of data in a given population.
- Step 2: The population
Let's look at a few examples to get a better understanding.
Solved Examples on Population Mean Formula
Example 1: What is the population mean for the given weights of persons- {50, 60, 70, 100, 80, 55, 60, 65}
Solution:
Step-1: Find the summation of given population
∑X = 50 + 60 + 70 + 100 + 80 + 55 + 60 + 65
= 540Step-2: Find Population mean
μ = ∑X / NHere size of population (N) = 8
= 540 / 8
= 67.5So population mean for given population is 67.5
Example 2: Find the population mean for the given population: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 55, 45, 35, 25, 15.
Solution:
Step-1: Find the summation of given population
∑X = 10 + 20 + 30 + 40 + 50 + 55 + 45 + 35 + 25 + 15
= 325Step-2: Find Population mean
μ = ∑X / NHere size of population (N) = 10
= 325 / 10
= 32.5So population mean for given population is 32.5
Example 3: Find the population mean for the given population: 20, 25, 20, 25, 22.
Solution:
Step-1: Find the summation of given population
Summation(Population) ∑X = 20 + 25 + 20 + 25 + 22
= 112Step-2: Find Population mean
μ = ∑X / NHere size of population (N) = 5
= 112 / 5
= 22.4So population mean for given population is 22.4
Example 4: Find the population mean for the given data: 10.5, 12.5, 20.5, 15.5, 20.5, 15
Solution:
Step-1: Find the summation of given data i.e., total of all values
∑X = 10.5 + 12.5 + 20.5 + 15.5 + 20.5 + 15
= 94.5Step-2: Find Population mean
Here size of population (N) = 6
Population Mean (μ) = ∑X / N
= 94.5 / 6
= 15.75So population mean for given population is 15.75.
Example 5: Find population mean for the population 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600.
Solution:
Step-1: Find the summation of given data i.e., total of all values
∑X = 100 + 200 + 300 + 400 + 500 + 600
= 2100Step-2: Find Population mean
Here size of population (N) = 6
Population Mean (μ) = ∑X / N
= 2100 / 6
= 350So population mean for given population is 350.