Merits and Demerits of Median

Median as an average of position has a number of merits and demerits. These are outlined as under keeping in view the characteristics of an ideal average.

Merits

1. It is simple to understand.
2. It does not require all the observations of the data for its determination.
3. It is not affected by the extreme values of a series.
4. It can be determined graphically which is shown a little later along with the quartiles etc.
5. It can be determined easily in open and series without estimating the lowest or highest class limits.
6. It can be determined straightway in case of a series of unequal class intervals without converting the series into equal class intervals as it is done in case of a Mode.
7. It is considered suitable for computation of the mean deviation as the sum of the deviation as the sum of the deviations taken from it is the minimum.
8. It is capable of being expressed in qualitative form as it is not computed but located.
9. It gives a value, which very much exists in the series, and is a round figure in most of the cases:

Demerits

1. It is not rigidly, and as such, its value cannot be computed but located.
2. It is not based on all the observations of the series.
3. It is not capable of further algebraic treatment like mean, geometric mean and harmonic mean.
4. It needs the arrangement of a series in ascending or descending order and more particularly in a frequency distribution it needs the arrangement of the series in ascending order.
5. It is very much affected by fluctuations in sampling.
6. It gives erroneous result, if the number of items is very small.
7. If the number of items of an individual series is of even nature, its value is determined by the p5rocess of arithmetic average.
8. At times, it produces a value which is never found in the series.
9. At times it gives fractional and impracticable results.