Indicators are presentations of measurements.
They are bits of information that summarize the characteristics of systems or highlight what is happening in a system. Indicators simplify complex phenomena, and make it possible to gauge the general status of a system. You can find indicators everywhere, from the gauges and dials on a car's dashboard, to readings taken by a doctor, to the financial reports in the business pages of a newspaper. Indicators make it easier to communicate about sustainable development. They translate the concept of sustainable development into numerical terms, descriptive measures, and action-oriented signs and signals.