The words data and information are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same.
Data refers to raw facts, figures, or measurements. These can be numbers, words, symbols, or observations collected from surveys, sensors, experiments, or daily activities. For example, a list of temperatures recorded every hour, marks scored by students, or the number of steps you walk each day are all data. On their own, these pieces may not explain much.
Information is what you get when data is processed, organised, or analysed to make sense. When those hourly temperature readings are arranged into a chart showing a rising trend, that becomes information. When student marks are averaged to calculate class performance, that becomes information.
In simple terms, data is the input. Information is the output after interpretation.
Computers store and process vast amounts of data every second. But it is the transformation of that data into meaningful patterns that helps businesses make decisions, doctors diagnose patients, and apps recommend content.
Without data, information cannot exist. Without processing, data remains meaningless.