diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/instructor/views/instructor_dashboard.py b/lms/djangoapps/instructor/views/instructor_dashboard.py
index 190e10fb7b..315b78413b 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/instructor/views/instructor_dashboard.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/instructor/views/instructor_dashboard.py
@@ -365,6 +365,14 @@ def _section_analytics(course, access):
         'proxy_legacy_analytics_url': reverse('proxy_legacy_analytics', kwargs={'course_id': course_key.to_deprecated_string()}),
     }
 
+    if settings.ANALYTICS_DASHBOARD_URL:
+        # Construct a URL to the external analytics dashboard
+        analytics_dashboard_url = '{0}/courses/{1}'.format(settings.ANALYTICS_DASHBOARD_URL, unicode(course_key))
+        dashboard_link = "<a href=\"{0}\" target=\"_blank\">{1}</a>".format(analytics_dashboard_url,
+                                                                            settings.ANALYTICS_DASHBOARD_NAME)
+        message = _("Demographic data is now available in {dashboard_link}.").format(dashboard_link=dashboard_link)
+        section_data['demographic_message'] = message
+
     return section_data
 
 
diff --git a/lms/envs/common.py b/lms/envs/common.py
index 97900cd92a..83f50778ec 100644
--- a/lms/envs/common.py
+++ b/lms/envs/common.py
@@ -288,6 +288,9 @@ FEATURES = {
     # to allow an upload of a CSV file that contains a list of new accounts to create
     # and register for course.
     'ALLOW_AUTOMATED_SIGNUPS': False,
+
+    # Display demographic data on the analytics tab in the instructor dashboard.
+    'DISPLAY_ANALYTICS_DEMOGRAPHICS': True
 }
 
 # Ignore static asset files on import which match this pattern
diff --git a/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/instructor_analytics.html b/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/instructor_analytics.html
index 07c86b7809..c75501cd0b 100644
--- a/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/instructor_analytics.html
+++ b/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/instructor_analytics.html
@@ -44,24 +44,28 @@
   <hr>
 %endif
 
-<div class="profile-distribution-widget-container"
-  data-title="${_("Year of Birth")}"
-  data-feature="year_of_birth"
-  data-endpoint="${ section_data['get_distribution_url'] }"
-></div>
+%if settings.FEATURES['DISPLAY_ANALYTICS_DEMOGRAPHICS']:
+    <div class="profile-distribution-widget-container"
+      data-title="${_("Year of Birth")}"
+      data-feature="year_of_birth"
+      data-endpoint="${ section_data['get_distribution_url'] }"
+    ></div>
 
-<hr>
+    <hr>
 
-<div class="profile-distribution-widget-container"
-  data-title="${_("Gender Distribution")}"
-  data-feature="gender"
-  data-endpoint="${ section_data['get_distribution_url'] }"
-></div>
+    <div class="profile-distribution-widget-container"
+      data-title="${_("Gender Distribution")}"
+      data-feature="gender"
+      data-endpoint="${ section_data['get_distribution_url'] }"
+    ></div>
 
-<hr>
+    <hr>
 
-<div class="profile-distribution-widget-container"
-  data-title="${_("Level of Education")}"
-  data-feature="level_of_education"
-  data-endpoint="${ section_data['get_distribution_url'] }"
-></div>
+    <div class="profile-distribution-widget-container"
+      data-title="${_("Level of Education")}"
+      data-feature="level_of_education"
+      data-endpoint="${ section_data['get_distribution_url'] }"
+    ></div>
+%elif section_data['demographic_message']:
+    <p><em>${section_data['demographic_message']}</em></p>
+%endif