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How do you calculate percentage error?

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Calculating Percentage Error

It is your estimate minus the true value divided by the true value and multiplied by 100.

So, % error = (estimate - actual) / actual * 100, in absolute value.

For example, if you estimate that there are 90 jelly beans in a jar when there are actually 130 your percentage error is:

(90-130)/130 * 100 = -40/130 * 100 = -0.308*100 = -30.8%

After absolute value, the answer is simply 30.769, or 30.8%.




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First answer by Neil the seal. Last edit by Neil the seal. Contributor trust: 31 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 55 [recommend question].

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