Coefficient of Variation Calculator
Calculate the coefficient of variation (CV) to measure relative variability in your data.
Calculate Coefficient of Variation
Table of Contents
What is Coefficient of Variation?
The coefficient of variation (CV) is a standardized measure of dispersion of a probability distribution or frequency distribution. It is often expressed as a percentage and is defined as the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean.
- Measures relative variability
- Independent of units
- Useful for comparing different datasets
- Expressed as a percentage
CV Interpretation
CV < 15%
Low variability
15% ≤ CV < 30%
Moderate variability
CV ≥ 30%
High variability
Calculation Formula
CV = (σ / μ) × 100%
where:
σ = standard deviation
μ = mean
Common Examples
Example 1 Low Variability
Data: [98, 99, 100, 101, 102]
CV = 1.58% (low variability)
Example 2 Moderate Variability
Data: [80, 85, 90, 95, 100]
CV = 9.13% (moderate variability)
Example 3 High Variability
Data: [50, 75, 100, 125, 150]
CV = 35.36% (high variability)