Final answer:
The characteristics that distinguish registries from other sources of data include their ability to track specific events such as births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and migrations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Registries are essential sources of demographic data, and they provide quantitative data that can be critical for understanding various socio-economic factors. Unlike sources that may rely on in-depth interviews or focus groups, registries offer a more formal method of data collection, often mandated by governments.
This can include vital statistics registries as well as data collected during national censuses, which occur typically every ten years. For example, the United States has been conducting a national census every decade since 1790, which serves to count the population and gather information on characteristics such as age, sex, marital status, and occupation, among others.