Trend

The term ‘trend’ or secular trend is very popularly used in day to day conversation. For example, we often talk that the population, prices, production, etc. are showing an upward trend. What we really thereby is that if we observe such variables over a long period of time we find an increasing tendency. Similarly, we may find some variables showing downward tendency or constant tendency. It should be noted that when we talk to trend, we mean thereby smooth, regular, long-term movement of the data sudden and erratic movements either in upward or in downward direction have nothing to do with the trend.