aytm offers demographic traits with every Panel survey so you don't have to ask about them in your survey. Available traits vary by fielding country, but can include:

In This Article

• Locale
• Gender
• Age Range
• Household Income
• Hispanic Origin
• Race/Ethnicity
• Education
• Employment Status
• Career
• Relationship Status
• Parental Status
• Age & Gender of Children under 18
• Location
• Country and Device
• Virtual Question Presets

After your survey is launched, all of these data points are included in the raw data and can be used as filters or through Virtual Question presets on your statistics page.

The traits included in your study are listed in the left sidebar. Any demographic traits not listed will need to be added to the body of the survey. If you have any questions or don't see the trait you need, chat with us or submit a ticket and we will be glad to help.

1. Locale

Whether respondents see a language question at all depends on the fielding country and how your survey is programmed. There are three cases:

• Single-language markets (most countries): there is no language question, and no language choice to make.
• Multi-language markets, survey restricted to one language: respondents get a fluency screener— "This survey is written in English. Can you fluently read & write in English?" (Yes / No). Roughly 34 markets support more than one language.
• Multilingual surveys: respondents pick their language from answer options reading "I prefer to complete this survey in English.", "Prefiero completar esta encuesta en español.", and so on for each language your survey is programmed in.

In all cases where the trait exists, it appears in your raw data and in the stats-page sidebar as Locale. On the Target Market page the two variants are labeled Language (fluency screener) and Multilingual (language picker).

aytm's proprietary panel supports 28 languages across 106 locales in 55 countries. To learn more about programming a survey in multiple languages, visit these Help Center articles:

• Building a Multilingual Panel Survey
• Countries and Languages Supported

2. Gender

Survey Question: What is your gender? (single-select)

In the US, UK, and Canada, Gender traits include Female, Male, and Non-binary / Other. For all other countries, the default is Female and Male. If you would like to add an inclusive gender question to your survey for other countries, please contact our support team.

⚠️ Note: Accounts configured for a binary gender trait will see only Female and Male, including in the US, UK, and Canada.

3. Age

Survey Question: Please specify your age

The specific age of a respondent will be shown in raw data exports, but filters are included for the following age ranges:

• 13–17*
• 18–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55–64
• 65–74
• 75+

*On the Target Market page, the age slider opens at 18–75+. To include teens, drag the left handle below 18. How low it goes depends on the fielding country's minimum age for surveying teens (13 in the US). Worldwide surveys start at 18.

When the age range starts below 18, the Career, Employment Status, Relationship Status, and Parental Status traits are hidden and reset, and the survey goes through a few extra steps at checkout and launch. See How to Target Teens and Niche Audiences for details, including pricing.

US Census balancing. A general-population US Census preset is available. Age-restricted Census presets for 18–64 and 18–65 are both available upon request—reach out to your Account Manager or support@aytm.com to discuss enabling these presets on your account.

4. Household Income

Depending on the fielding country, the survey question will ask for either annual or monthly household income.

Annual Survey Question: What is your annual household income before tax? (single-select)

In the US, the brackets are:

• $0–$24,999
• $25,000–$49,999
• $50,000–$74,999
• $75,000–$99,999
• $100,000–$199,999
• $200,000 or more

⚠️ Note: The brackets above are US-only. Other markets use their own currency and their own bracket counts—Canada uses five CAD brackets, the UK uses five GBP brackets, and so on. Brackets are not simply translated versions of the US list.

Monthly Survey Question: What is your monthly household income before taxes? (single-select)

Only the following countries ask for monthly income:

• Brazil
• Colombia
• Egypt
• Hong Kong
• Kenya
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Nigeria
• Saudi Arabia
• South Africa
• Thailand
• Vietnam
• Morocco (coming soon)

Brazil: Socioeconomic Levels (SEL)

In Brazil, monthly household income (HHI) data can be aligned with Socioeconomic Levels (SELs)—a classification used to segment the population by relative wealth and living standards. Where the SEL trait is enabled on your account, HHI and SEL are derived from the same response, so no additional trait questions are needed, and both appear as separate variables in the data.

⚠️ Note: SEL is an optional account feature. Without it, Brazil surveys receive the standard monthly household income trait and no SEL variable. Contact your Account Manager to have it enabled.

"Prefer not to state" in the EU5 and Austria

In the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Austria, the Household Income trait includes a "Prefer not to state" response option to align with respondent expectations and local norms. Adding "Prefer not to state" does not impact the incidence rate (IR) when HHI is filtered. All API partners are fully mapped, and this update does not increase the likelihood of incorrect demographic traits. When Household Income is not used as a filter, internal testing indicates approximately 1–3% of respondents in these markets may select "Prefer not to state".

Historical surveys: Surveys fielded before the introduction of "Prefer not to state" will not contain this response. When merging older and newer studies, this difference should be expected.

Survey cloning: Cloned surveys will include the updated Household Income trait, including "Prefer not to state", even if the original survey did not have this option.

5. Hispanic Origin

Survey Question: Are you of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin or descent? (single-select)

• Yes
• No

⚠️ Note: Hispanic Origin is a US-only trait. It is not available in any other fielding country. 

6. Race/Ethnicity

Survey Question: Which of the following ethnicities do you identify with? Please select all that apply. (multi-select)

In the US, respondents choose from:

• White
• Black / African American
• Asian-American
• American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander
• Other Race

The Target Market page offers a sixth targeting option, Multi-racial, for respondents who identify with more than one category. It is a targeting option only—the stats-page filter returns the five single-race values above.

In US and Puerto Rico surveys this trait is labeled Race; in all other markets it is labeled Race/Ethnicity.

⚠️ Note: Race/Ethnicity is not simply translated between markets—the categories themselves differ by country, and 19 of our 55 fielding countries have no race trait at all: Austria, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, and Venezuela. 

7. Education

Education levels follow each country's own school system. Rather than translating one list everywhere, aytm asks respondents to choose from the levels that make sense where they live: a vocational diploma in Germany, the Matura in Austria, a DEUG in Morocco, a polytechnic diploma in Singapore.

Which list your survey uses depends only on the fielding country:

Whichever list applies, respondents pick one level (single-select), and the trait is labeled Education on the Target Market page and in the stats-page sidebar. On the Target Market page you can select any combination of levels to target.

United States and Puerto Rico

Survey Question: What is the highest level of education you have completed? (single-select)

• High school/equivalent (e.g., GED) or below
• Some college, no degree
• Technical/Vocational Degree
• Associate Degree (e.g., AA, AS)
• Bachelor's Degree (e.g., BA, BS)
• Master's Degree (e.g., MA, MS, MEd)
• Professional Degree (e.g., MD, JD)
• Doctorate Degree (e.g., PhD, EdD)

Education levels by country

Survey Question: What is the highest level of education you have completed? (single-select)

Respondents see the question and levels in the survey's language. The table below shows the English wording, with the number of levels in brackets.

General list (all other countries)

Survey Question: Please select your education level. (single-select)

• No college
• Some college
• 2yr degree
• 4yr degree
• Grad school degree
• Professional degree

Comparing education across countries

Because each list follows its own country's school system, levels from different countries don't line up one to one. A multi-country study holds education answers on several different lists, and the same level name (for example, "Some college") can mean different things in different countries. To compare countries, group the levels yourself, for example with a Virtual Question that combines each country's degree levels.

Historical surveys: Surveys fielded before the country-specific lists were introduced use the general six-level list (in the US, too). When merging older and newer studies from the same country, expect the education levels to differ.

Survey cloning: A cloned survey whose Education targeting was left at All picks up the country's own list. If the original survey narrowed Education to specific levels of the general list, the clone keeps the general list and those selections, so your targeting isn't lost.

Changing the fielding country: When you change a survey's country, the Target Market is rebuilt with that country's defaults. Education switches to the new country's list and resets to All, along with every other trait selection.

💡 Tip: Education is asked of every respondent, including 13–17 year olds on surveys that admit them. Career, Employment Status, Relationship Status, Parental Status, and Age & Gender of Children are asked only of respondents aged 18 and over.

8. Employment Status

Survey Question: Your employment status: (single-select)

• Employed, full-time
• Employed, part-time
• Self-employed / Freelancer
• Student
• Homemaker/Stay-at-home Parent
• Retired
• Disabled
• Temporarily Unemployed 

9. Career

Survey Question: Your career: (single-select)

• Accounting / Banking / Finance
• Advertising / Graphic Design
• Agriculture / Forestry / Fishing
• Architecture
• Arts / Media / Entertainment / Recreation
• Automotive
• Aviation / Aerospace
• Bio-Tech
• Brokerage
• Cannabis*
• Carpentry / Electrical / Plumbing / VVS or HVAC / Contracting
• Chemicals / Plastics / Rubber
• Clerical
• Communications/Information
• Computer Hardware / Electronic Equipment
• Computer related products or services / Computer Reseller
• Computer Software
• Construction
• Consulting
• Consumer Electronics
• Consumer Products and Packaged Goods
• Education
• Energy / Utilities / Oil and Gas / Petroleum / Petrochemicals
• Engineering
• Environmental Services / Life Sciences
• Fashion/Textiles/Apparel
• Food / Beverage
• Freelance / Gig Worker (e.g., Lyft/Uber/Air B&B, etc.)
• Government (Local, State, Federal) / Public Sector
• Healthcare/Medical/Medical devices
• Hospitality / Tourism / Restaurants
• Human Resources
• Insurance
• Internet Services
• IT / Information Technology / Technology
• Law Enforcement / Fire Services / Public Safety
• Legal/Law
• Machinery/Equipment
• Management
• Manufacturing/Production
• Market Research
• Marketing/Sales/Marketing Services
• Military
• Mining
• Non-Profit / Social Services / Religious Organization
• Personal Services
• Pharmaceuticals / Biotech
• Printing / Publishing
• Public Relations
• Real Estate / Property
• Retail / Wholesale
• Security
• Shipping / Distribution / Logistics / Warehousing
• Small Business Owner
• Telecommunications
• Transportation
• Other
• Not employed (student / disabled / retired)

*Cannabis is only available in US surveys. 

10. Relationship Status

Survey Question: Please select your relationship status. (multi-select)

• Single
• Married
• Widowed
• Living with a significant other*
• Engaged
• Divorced/Separated

*In Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Morocco, respondents see "In a committed/long-term relationship" instead, to reflect local norms and regulations. 

11. Parental Status

Survey Question: Are there children under the age of 18 living in your household? (single-select)

• No, there are no children under 18 living in my household
• One child
• Two children
• Three children
• Four children
• Five or more children 

12. Age & Gender of Children under 18 in Household

Survey Question: Please select the age and gender of your children below: (multi-select)

13. Location

For respondents in the US we will include the following drop-downs in the filters menu:

• Zip
• County
• MSAs
• CSA
• State
• Region
• DMA

14. Country and Device

Two additional traits are included with every Panel survey, in every market:

• Country—the respondent's fielding country. It is a demographic trait and can be used as a filter on the stats page.
• Device—the device type the respondent used to take the survey. It is recorded automatically as a system variable, alongside browser and platform, rather than as a demographic trait, so it is not a Target Market option.

Both appear in your raw data and can be used as filters on the stats page.

⚠️ Note: The number of traits available varies by country—some international markets offer fewer than the full set above. For each country, the demographics listed on the Target Market page will be included with your raw data.

Virtual Question Presets

Demographic trait presets let you parse your data without building the splits by hand. The presets available in a given study are generated from the traits that study actually has, so the number varies by fielding country. US surveys also get a combined Race + Hispanic Origin preset. A few presets (Age range, Race/Ethnicity (Race in US surveys), and Relationship status) have extra considerations as you set up your VQ.

Related Articles

• Building a Multilingual Panel Survey
• Countries and Languages Supported
• Virtual Question: Optional Presets