diff --git a/core/include/Variable/Variable.h b/core/include/Variable/Variable.h
index 88c5682..1941339 100644
--- a/core/include/Variable/Variable.h
+++ b/core/include/Variable/Variable.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "CoreGlobal.h"
 
 #include <Data/DataSeriesIterator.h>
+#include <Data/DataSeriesType.h>
 #include <Data/SqpRange.h>
 
 #include <QLoggingCategory>
@@ -54,6 +55,9 @@ public:
     /// @return the data of the variable, nullptr if there is no data
     std::shared_ptr<IDataSeries> dataSeries() const noexcept;
 
+    /// @return the type of data that the variable holds
+    DataSeriesType type() const noexcept;
+
     QVariantHash metadata() const noexcept;
 
     bool contains(const SqpRange &range) const noexcept;
diff --git a/core/src/Variable/Variable.cpp b/core/src/Variable/Variable.cpp
index 8d68fa0..b9869d0 100644
--- a/core/src/Variable/Variable.cpp
+++ b/core/src/Variable/Variable.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,29 @@
 
 Q_LOGGING_CATEGORY(LOG_Variable, "Variable")
 
+namespace {
+
+/**
+ * Searches in metadata for a value that can be converted to DataSeriesType
+ * @param metadata the metadata where to search
+ * @return the value converted to a DataSeriesType if it was found, UNKNOWN type otherwise
+ * @sa DataSeriesType
+ */
+DataSeriesType findDataSeriesType(const QVariantHash &metadata)
+{
+    auto dataSeriesType = DataSeriesType::UNKNOWN;
+
+    // Go through the metadata and stop at the first value that could be converted to DataSeriesType
+    for (auto it = metadata.cbegin(), end = metadata.cend();
+         it != end && dataSeriesType == DataSeriesType::UNKNOWN; ++it) {
+        dataSeriesType = DataSeriesTypeUtils::fromString(it.value().toString());
+    }
+
+    return dataSeriesType;
+}
+
+} // namespace
+
 struct Variable::VariablePrivate {
     explicit VariablePrivate(const QString &name, const QVariantHash &metadata)
             : m_Name{name},
@@ -17,7 +40,8 @@ struct Variable::VariablePrivate {
               m_Metadata{metadata},
               m_DataSeries{nullptr},
               m_RealRange{INVALID_RANGE},
-              m_NbPoints{0}
+              m_NbPoints{0},
+              m_Type{findDataSeriesType(m_Metadata)}
     {
     }
 
@@ -28,7 +52,8 @@ struct Variable::VariablePrivate {
               m_Metadata{other.m_Metadata},
               m_DataSeries{other.m_DataSeries != nullptr ? other.m_DataSeries->clone() : nullptr},
               m_RealRange{other.m_RealRange},
-              m_NbPoints{other.m_NbPoints}
+              m_NbPoints{other.m_NbPoints},
+              m_Type{findDataSeriesType(m_Metadata)}
     {
     }
 
@@ -75,6 +100,7 @@ struct Variable::VariablePrivate {
     std::shared_ptr<IDataSeries> m_DataSeries;
     SqpRange m_RealRange;
     int m_NbPoints;
+    DataSeriesType m_Type;
 
     QReadWriteLock m_Lock;
 };
@@ -183,6 +209,15 @@ std::shared_ptr<IDataSeries> Variable::dataSeries() const noexcept
     return dataSeries;
 }
 
+DataSeriesType Variable::type() const noexcept
+{
+    impl->lockRead();
+    auto type = impl->m_Type;
+    impl->unlock();
+
+    return type;
+}
+
 QVariantHash Variable::metadata() const noexcept
 {
     impl->lockRead();