How have you utilized demographic data in your economic or financial analysis to inform policy or business strategy?

I've worked in regional planning, where demographic data is critical to understanding where a region is and where it's headed. Typically, the demographic data and forecast is the base of the economic and travel models we develop and use. As with all forecasts, predicting the future is an uncertain science, but demographic forecasts are as reliable as any predictions we make, and they form the basis for investments in transportation infrastructure, housing, and economic development.