Per cent means 'per 100'. If 70 per cent of the population own a pet, this means that 70 out of every hundred people own a pet. The symbol % means 'per cent'.
Part ofMathsFractions, decimals and percentages
Percentage is a way to compare one number to another, just like a fraction, decimal or ratio.
You can think of a percentage as a fraction where the denominator (bottom number) is always 100:
\(1\% = \frac{1}{100}\)
\(10\% = \frac{10}{100}\)
\(75\% = \frac{75}{100}\)
A simple way to think of a percentage as a decimal is to imagine pennies in the pound:
\(1p\) can be written \(£0.01\), so \(1%\) can be written \(0.01\).
\(10p\) can be written as \(£0.10\), so \(10%\) can be written as \(0.10\) (or \(0.1\). You don't need the final \(0\))
\(25p\) can be written as \(£0.25\), so \(25\) can be written as \(0.25\).
