What is the purpose of the LABEL statement in SAS?

The purpose of the LABEL statement in SAS is to assign descriptive labels to variables. This enhances the clarity of the data, making it easier to understand the meaning of each variable when outputting results, creating reports, or conducting data analysis. Descriptive labels can make reports and tables more intuitive by replacing variable names, which may be abbreviated or cryptic, with more meaningful text. When generating output, such as tables or graphs, the descriptive labels are displayed in place of the variable names.

Using labels provides context and can improve readability for users who may not be familiar with the variable names, ultimately supporting better data communication and interpretation. This is especially useful in large datasets where variable names can be difficult to remember or understand without additional context.