Strength, softness and thickness remain the leading indicators of toilet paper quality, with just a small proportion of consumers preferring more luxurious alternatives, such as those with flower patterns or perfume,said Mintel analyst Jack Duckett.

On the other hand, indicators of a person's accumulated knowledge—like performance on tests of vocabulary and general knowledge—kept improving with age, according to findings published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging.

Thoughts turn first to some sort of global statistic, some indicator which would rate the wealth of nations in both economic and environmental terms and show a relationship between the two.

If such an indicator exists, it is well hidden.

It is not a reliable indicator of economic mobility.

Because healthy savings rates are one of the surest indicators of a country's long-term financial health.

The most recent comparative data on the performance of universities and research institutions in Australia, Canada, USA and UK shows that, from a relatively weak starting position, the UK now leads on many indicators of commercialisation activity.

Being funny isn't necessarily an indicator of good social skills and well-being," his research has shown, "it may just exactly be a sign of personality flaws.

It is an indicator of high intelligence

As marketing professors Silvia Bellezza, Neeru Paharia, and Anat Keinan recently explained in Hazard Business Review HBR, leisure time was once seen as an indicator of high social status, something attainable only for those at the top.

Thus, body weight is not always the best indicator of health and a thin person still needs to eat well and exercise regularly.