Percentage vs. Average: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 28, 2023
Percentage is a portion of 100, expressing a part of a whole, while Average is the central value of a set of numbers, calculated by dividing the sum of values by their count.
Key Differences
Percentage is a mathematical concept used to express a quantity as a fraction of 100, allowing for a standardized comparison across different scales or sizes. Average, on the other hand, is a statistical measure that provides a central or typical value in a set of data by summing all values and dividing by their number.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Percentage is widely used in contexts like finance, where it indicates interest rates, profit margins, or discounts. It’s a way of quantifying proportions in an easily understandable format. Average is commonly used to summarize data sets, giving a single representative value that indicates the typical level of a set of numbers, like the average income or average temperature.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
When calculating percentage, the focus is on understanding the relative size of one number in relation to another, expressed as a part of 100. This makes it particularly useful for comparing different quantities. In contrast, calculating the average (mean) involves adding up all values in a set and then dividing by the number of values, providing an overall summary of the set.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
The concept of percentage is essential in understanding and interpreting data in terms of ratios and comparisons. It helps in visualizing how large or small a quantity is relative to a total. Conversely, average is crucial for identifying the central tendency or typical value in a group of numbers, which helps in making generalizations or predictions about data sets.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
In educational grading systems, percentage is often used to represent how much of the total available marks a student has achieved. Meanwhile, average grades of a class would give a sense of the overall performance level, indicating the central or middle range of achievement within the group.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Purpose
To express a quantity as a part of a whole
To find a typical or central value in a set
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Percentage and Average Definitions
Percentage
A way to express proportions.
A 50% discount was offered during the sale.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Average
Mean value of a set of numbers.
The average score of the team was 8 out of 10.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Percentage
A part or portion of a whole expressed out of 100.
She scored 90% in her exam.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Average
Central or typical value in a data set.
The average income in the area is $50,000.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Percentage
Standardized measure for expressing data.
The percentage of voters in the election was 60%.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Average
Statistical measure for central tendency.
His average batting score this season is impressive.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Percentage
Ratio or fraction used in comparisons.
The percentage of renewable energy usage has increased.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Average
Representative value for a group of numbers.
The average age of students in the class is 20 years.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Percentage
Used in statistical analysis for relative size.
Only 25% of applicants passed the test.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Percentage
A fraction or ratio with 100 understood as the denominator; for example, 0.98 equals a percentage of 98.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Percentage
A proportion or share in relation to a whole; a part
The hecklers constituted only a small percentage of the audience.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
The usual or ordinary kind or quality
Although the wines vary, the average is quite good.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Percentage
An amount, such as an allowance, duty, or commission, that varies in proportion to a larger sum, such as total sales
Work for a percentage.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
(Sports)The ratio of a team's or player's successful performances such as wins, hits, or goals, divided by total opportunities for successful performance, such as games, times at bat, or shots
Finished the season with a .500 average.
A batting average of .274.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Percentage
(Informal) Advantage; gain
There is no percentage in work without pay.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Percentage
The amount, number or rate of something, regarded as part of a total of 100; a part of a whole.
A high percentage of secondary school leavers take a gap year.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Percentage
A share of the sales, profits, gross margin or similar.
She gets a percentage for every vacuum cleaner sold.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Percentage
(informal) Benefit or advantage.
There was no percentage in staying at home.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Percentage
A certain rate per cent; the allowance, duty, rate of interest, discount, or commission, on a hundred.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
(Nautical)Small expenses or charges that are usually paid by the master of a ship.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Percentage
Assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group;
He wanted his share in cash
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
Being intermediate between extremes, as on a scale
A movie of average length.
A player of average ability.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
Usual or ordinary in kind or character
A poll of average people.
Average eyesight.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
To distribute proportionately
Average one's income over four years so as to minimize the tax rate.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
To be or amount to an average
Some sparrows are six inches long, but they average smaller. Our expenses averaged out to 45 dollars per day.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
(mathematics) The arithmetic mean.
2=The average of 10, 20 and 24 is (10 + 20 + 24)/3 = 18.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
(statistics) Any measure of central tendency, especially any mean, the median, or the mode.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
Financial loss due to damage to transported goods; compensation for damage or loss.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
(sports) An indication of a player's ability calculated from his scoring record, etc.
Batting average
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
In the corn trade, the medial price of the several kinds of grain in the principal corn markets.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
The service that a tenant owed his lord, to be done by the animals of the tenant, such as the transportation of wheat, turf, etc.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
(not comparable) Constituting or relating to the average.
The average age of the participants was 18.5.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
Neither very good nor very bad; rated somewhere in the middle of all others in the same category.
I soon found I was only an average chess player.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
Typical.
The average family will not need the more expensive features of this product.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
(transitive) To compute the average of, especially the arithmetic mean.
If you average 10, 20 and 24, you get 18.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
(transitive) Over a period of time or across members of a population, to have or generate a mean value of.
The daily high temperature last month averaged 15°C.
I averaged 75% in my examinations this year.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
(transitive) To divide among a number, according to a given proportion.
To average a loss
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
That service which a tenant owed his lord, to be done by the work beasts of the tenant, as the carriage of wheat, turf, etc.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
A mean proportion, medial sum or quantity, made out of unequal sums or quantities; an arithmetical mean. Thus, if A loses 5 dollars, B 9, and C 16, the sum is 30, and the average 10.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
Any medial estimate or general statement derived from a comparison of diverse specific cases; a medium or usual size, quantity, quality, rate, etc.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
In the English corn trade, the medial price of the several kinds of grain in the principal corn markets.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
Pertaining to an average or mean; medial; containing a mean proportion; of a mean size, quality, ability, etc.; ordinary; usual; as, an average rate of profit; an average amount of rain; the average Englishman; beings of the average stamp.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
According to the laws of averages; as, the loss must be made good by average contribution.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
To find the mean of, when sums or quantities are unequal; to reduce to a mean.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
To divide among a number, according to a given proportion; as, to average a loss.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
To form, or exist in, a mean or medial sum or quantity; to amount to, or to be, on an average; as, the losses of the owners will average twenty five dollars each; these spars average ten feet in length.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
A statistic describing the location of a distribution;
It set the norm for American homes
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
Amount to or come to an average, without loss or gain;
The number of hours I work per work averages out to 40
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
Approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value;
The average income in New England is below that of the nation
Of average height for his age
The mean annual rainfall
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
Lacking special distinction, rank, or status; commonly encountered;
Average people
The ordinary (or common) man in the street
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
Of no exceptional quality or ability;
A novel of average merit
Only a fair performance of the sonata
In fair health
The caliber of the students has gone from mediocre to above average
The performance was middling at best
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
Around the middle of a scale of evaluation of physical measures;
An orange of average size
Intermediate capacity
A plane with intermediate range
Medium bombers
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
Relating to or constituting the most frequent value in a distribution;
The modal age at which American novelists reach their peak is 30
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
Relating to or constituting the middle value of an ordered set of values (or the average of the middle two in an even-numbered set);
The median value of 17, 20, and 36 is 20
The median income for the year was $15,000
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Average
Sum of values divided by their count.
The average temperature last week was 70 degrees.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Do "percentage" and "average" require the same number of values?
No, "percentage" can be calculated with two values, while "average" needs a set.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Can "percentage" exceed 100?
Yes, it can, in cases of more than the total amount.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Is "average" always accurate?
It's a generalization and may not represent all individual values.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Is "percentage" used in grading?
Yes, often to represent scores as a fraction of 100.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
What's an example of "average" in daily life?
Calculating the average daily expenses.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Does "average" always mean the mean?
Primarily, but it can also refer to median or mode.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
How is "average" used in sports?
To calculate the typical performance of a player.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
What's a real-life example of "percentage"?
Interest rates in finance are expressed as percentages.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Are "percentage" and "average" interchangeable?
No, they serve different purposes in data representation.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
How do educators use "average"?
To determine the typical score of students.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
How do businesses use "percentage"?
For profit margins, growth rates, and discounts.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Can "average" vary with different data sets?
Yes, it changes with different values.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Is "percentage" easy to understand?
Yes, it’s a common and straightforward concept.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Can "percentage" show growth?
Yes, it’s often used to depict increase or decrease.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 28, 2023
Share this page
Link for your blog / website
HTML
Link to share via messenger
About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
Shumaila Saeed
Dua Fatima
Hifza Nasir
