These guidelines specify key indicators for the identification of demographic issues in coastal area management and for monitoring the impact of management measures on the socio-economic well-being of coastal and fishing communities. The guidelines also identify data sources and methods for the collection of data. Case studies on the use of demographic data in coastal area management in Italy and the United States of America, and a summary of the proceedings of a regional workshop on the use of demographic data in coastal area management in the Philippines and other Southeast and South Asian countries provide practical examples of how demographic indicators are used.