Difference Between Percentage and Percentile

Percentage and percentage are essential when describing quantities, particularly scores or marks. They provide essential insights into various analytical and comparative scenarios. Percentage is an arithmetic concept that allows you to compare different fractions, while the percentage value defines the percentile under a ranking system. Percentage and percentile seem the same, but they are surprisingly different. 

Content

• Percentage And Percentile - Comparison Table
• What is Percentage?
• What is Percentile?
• Details of Differences Between Percentage And Percentile

Percentage And Percentile - Comparison Table

What is Percentage?

A percentage is an arithmetic concept used to summarize and clearly express data related to fractions and ratios. It refers to a number out of 100 and is important for standardizing different amounts, brands, numbers, ratios, and proportions. The percentage can also be written in fractions or decimals.

For example, consider the percentage of 5%. This is equivalent to the fraction 5/100.

Since the number one hundred is a power of ten, the math involved is convenient, and a fraction involving one hundred is easier to understand.

The general formula for calculating the percentage can be given as follows:

x / y × 100 = ___%

A fraction or a ratio multiplied by 100 gives the percentage. The percentage value is generally a value between 0 and 100. However, this can be extended to values ​​beyond 100. 

The percentage is always indicated by placing the percent symbol % on the right-hand side of the number. x and y can be any real number, except for y, excluding the value 0. The real value of the fraction (x / y) depends on the problem at hand.

Must Read – Introduction to Probability

What is Percentile?

Percentile Meaning: The percentile is a statistical concept. It is a value at or below which a certain distribution percentage falls. An element in the nth percentile implies that n% of the distribution is below that element.

For example, if a student got 80^th percentile on a math test, it implies that 80% of the students scored below that student.

Main Differences Between Percentage And Percentile

Meaning and distribution

• A percentage is a measurement tool that calculates numbers out of 100, while the percentile is the percentage’s mathematical value to determine the numerical value scored above or below a percentage.
• The percentage distribution is particular to a person and unique to them, and you cannot distribute it evenly among the masses.
• The percentile compares various percentages in a given situation in an environment.

Therefore, it can be said that a percentile is distributed among the people, while the percentage is not.

Rank and Symbol

• The percent symbol is relatively easier to identify, denoted as ‘%.’
• No particular symbol connotes percentile, but an annotated value denotes it. The representation of a percentile is something like n^th. Here, ‘n’ is any numerical range of a percentile. For example, if a student received an 80^th percentile ranking, 80% received less than 80 per cent of the marks.
• The percentage has no range and is factual mathematical numerical data.

Ratio And Decimal

• A percentage can have decimals, and it has a reason to derive an answer. The range must be at most 1.4 or 1.5. We cannot say that I stood at 1.7 in my class.
• The percentile would either be 1st or 2nd. For example, we can easily derive a percentage of our grades, but we need to weigh the grades received.

At the same time, we can weigh all students' grades in the class in percentile ranking. This will also reveal your rank based on students who scored the same as or below you.

Position of Quartiles Arena  

The percentage does not refer to quartiles. Quartiles are similar to a quarter. Percentiles, however, refer to quartiles.

For example –

• 25^th percentile is called the first quartile
• 50^th is called the second quartile
• 75^th percentile is the third quartile
• 100^th is the fourth quartile.

The percentage is specific to a mathematical value that is unique to one person. The percentile takes the total of an entire group of people. Therefore, the percentage position is always outside of 100. The percentile is at or below the score received against a well-distributed group. 

Conclusion