Time series are stationary if they do not have trend or seasonal effects. Summary statistics calculated on the time series are consistent over time, like the mean or the variance of the observations. When a time series is stationary, it can be easier to model.

Why does time series data need to be stationary?

Stationarity is an important concept in time series analysis. ... Stationarity means that the statistical properties of a time series (or rather the process generating it) do not change over time. Stationarity is important because many useful analytical tools and statistical tests and models rely on it.

What is stationarity in time series data?

In t he most intuitive sense, stationarity means that the statistical properties of a process generating a time series do not change over time . It does not mean that the series does not change over time, just that the way it changes does not itself change over time.