In some research situations, we are interested in characteristics that are very rare. In such cases, percentages can be awkward to read and difficult to interpret. We can apply the same logic of using a percentage to a larger number than 100. If a percentage, being a rate per 100, provides a number that is too small, then we can consider the rate per a larger number than 100. For example, the FBI uses the rate per 100,000 to report the occurrences of crime in the United States.
Compute a Rate from a Percentage |
|
| To convert from a percentage to this rate: | Multiply the percentage by this number: |
| Per 1,000
Per 10,000 Per 100,000 Per 1,000,000 |
10
100 1,000 10,000 |
You can use the same logic in reverse to convert some other rate to a percentage. To do this, you will divide rather than multiply.
Compute a Percentage from a Rate |
|
| To convert from this rate to a percentage: | Divide the rate by this number: |
| Per 1,000
Per 10,000 Per 100,000 Per 1,000,000 |
10
100 1,000 10,000 |
Last Modified: 02/03/2021