# Population Observability **Entity class:** Systems concept **Population observability** is the capacity to estimate the condition and change of a population from measurements, reports, records, exposures, events, and network relations. Observability attaches to the modeled phenomenon and its data flows; it does not convert a scientific abstraction into unlimited authority over the people represented. ## Relationships [[wiki/Public Health Surveillance|Public Health Surveillance]] · [[wiki/Real-Time Observability|Real-Time Observability]] · [[wiki/State Estimation|State Estimation]] · [[wiki/Counterterrorism Collection - Public Health and Violence Prevention|Public Health and Violence Prevention]] ## Sources - [CDC — Lexicon and Conceptual Framework for Public Health Surveillance, July 27, 2012](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6103a3.htm) **As of:** 2026-09-23