100 LearnersLast updated on June 4th, 2025
Difference Between Percentage and Percentile
The percentage and percentile are two related concepts, but they have some differences. Percentage is the way of expressing a part of the whole as a fraction of 100. Whereas, percentile is the comparison of the particular data to the other dataset. In this topic, we will learn more about percentage, percentile, their differences, ways to find, and many more.
What are Percentages and Percentiles?
Percentage is a way to express the ratio of the part and whole in a fraction of 100. It is represented by the symbol %. It is calculated by using the equation, percentage = (part/total) × 100
Percentile is the comparison of data with the entire dataset. Percentile is denoted by the symbol “th,” for example, 15th. To find the percentile, it is important to have the data set. It can be calculated by using the equation, (Number of values below x ÷ total number of values) × 100.
Difference between percentage and percentile
Percentage and percentile are related concepts, but both are different. Let’s learn a few differences between percentage and percentile.
| Percentage | Percentile |
| The ratio of the part by the whole expressed in a fraction of 100 | Percentile is the way of comparing data with the whole |
| The symbol to represent is % | The symbol to represent is “th” |
| Used to analyze individual performance | Used to analyze the relative performance |
| Can be expressed in decimals | Cannot be expressed in decimals |
| It doesn’t require any data sorting | Calculated by sorting data |
| For example, the percentage is used to analyze the marks of students | For example, the percentile is used to analyze the marks of the students by comparing them with the other. |
How to calculate percentage and percentile
The ratio of the part by the whole in the fraction of 100 is the percentage. So, it is calculated by the formula, percentage = (part/total) × 100
For instance, if a student scores 540 marks out of 600. Find the percentage.
To find the percentage we use the formula that is, percentage = (part/total) × 100
Here, part = 540
Total = 600
So, percentage = 540600 × 100 = 90%
The way of comparing the given value by the whole is percentile. It is calculated by the formula, percentile = (Number of values below x ÷ total number of values) × 100.
For instance, In a class of 60 students, Tom’s rank is 10th. Calculate Tom’s percentile in the class.
Percentile is calculated by the equation,
percentile = Number of values below x ÷ total number of values ) × 100.
Here, x = 60 - 10 = 50
Total number of value = 60
So, percentile = (50 / 60) × 100 = 83.33
So, Tom’s percentile of the class is 83rd.
Real-life Applications of percentage
The percentage is used in our daily life in other fields such as finance, economics, healthcare, and so on. Now let’s learn a few real-life applications of percentage.
- In finance, the percentage is used to calculate the interest, profit, returns, taxes, and so on.
- In economics, it is used to measure the change in the price, rates of inflation, and unemployment, and to analyze data.
- In schools, percentages are used to calculate attendance, grades in assessments, exams, and so on.
- When shopping percentage is used to calculate the discounts
Real-life Applications of percentile
Percentile is used to analyze and compare the data for studies. In this section, we will learn more about the real-life application of percentile.
- Percentile is used in education to compare the score of a student with compare to the whole class.
- In health, the percentile is used to analyze the growth of a child by comparing it with the growth chart.
- Economists use percentiles to compare the income distribution with the income earned.
Tips and Tricks to Master in percentage and percentile
Learning percentages and percentile helps students in exams, data analysis, and decision-making. Now let’s check some tips and tricks to master in percentage and percentile.
- Understanding the basic concepts: Percentage means out of 100 and Percentile is the percentage of value below the required value.
- When working on percentages try to do the mental math, that is 100% of a number is 1, 75% of a number is ¾, 50% of a number is ½, and 25% of a number is ¼.
- When doing data ordering to find percentiles arrange the data in ascending order
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them in Difference Between Percentage and Percentile
Students usually get confused with percentage and percentile and there are many other common mistakes they tend to make. So let’s learn a few common mistakes and the ways to avoid them.
Mistake 1
Considering percentage and percentile are the same
Students think that both percentage and percentile are the same. But both percentage and percentile are different concepts. Percentage is the ratio of part by the whole expressed in the fraction of 100. Whereas percentile is the comparison between the data and the whole data set
Solved Examples of Difference Between Percentage and Percentile
Problem 1
A student scores 45 marks out of 50 on an exam. What is the percentage?
The student scored is 90%
Explanation
Percentage is calculated by the equation,
Percentage = (part/total) × 100
Here, part = 45
Total = 50
So, percentage = 4550 × 100 = 90%
Problem 2
A company offers a 20% discount on a product originally priced at $250. What is the discount amount?
The discount amount is $200
Explanation
To find the discount amount, we find the discount amount,
That is, percentage = (part/total) × 100
So, part = percentage 100 × total
Here, percentage = 20%
Total = $250
Discount amount = 20100 × 250 = $50
So the discount amount = $250 - $50 = $200
Problem 3
In a class of 50 students, a student ranks 10th. What is their percentile rank?
The student is in the 80th percentile
Explanation
Percentile is calculated using the formula, percentile = (Number of values below x ÷ total number of values) × 100.
As the student is in 10th place, the number of students below is 50 - 10 = 40
So, percentile = (40 / 50) × 100 = 80
Therefore, the student is in the 80th percentile.
Problem 4
A student is at the 80th percentile in a test of 500 students. How many students scored below them?
The number of students below this student is 400
Explanation
Percentile is calculated using the formula, percentile = (Number of values below x ÷ total number of values) × 100.
So, Number of students below x = (Percentile / 100) × total number of students
(80 / 100) × 500 = 400
Thus, 400 students scored below this students
Problem 5
The company has 500 employees, and 125 are female. What percentage of the employees are female?
The percentage of female employees is 25%
Explanation
Percentage is calculated by the equation,
Percentage = (part/total) × 100
Here, part = 125
Total = 500
So, percentage = 125500 × 100 = 25%
FAQs on the Difference Between Percentage and Percentile
1.What is the percentage?
2.What is a percentile?
3.Is percentile the same as percentage?
4.How is percentile calculated?
5.How is the percentage calculated?
6.How can children in United States use numbers in everyday life to understand Difference Between Percentage and Percentile?
7.What are some fun ways kids in United States can practice Difference Between Percentage and Percentile with numbers?
8.What role do numbers and Difference Between Percentage and Percentile play in helping children in United States develop problem-solving skills?
9.How can families in United States create number-rich environments to improve Difference Between Percentage and Percentile skills?
Dr. Sarita Ghanshyam Tiwari
About the Author
Dr. Sarita Tiwari is a passionate educator specializing in Commercial Math, Vedic Math, and Abacus, with a mission to make numbers magical for young learners. With 8+ years of teaching experience and a Ph.D. in Business Economics, she blends academic rigo
Fun Fact
: She believes math is like music—once you understand the rhythm, everything just flows!
