Result
Enter values and select Calculate.
Formula and method
CV = standard deviation ÷ mean, and CV% = CV × 100. Dataset mode uses the selected population or sample variance convention before taking its square root. Direct mode uses the supplied mean and standard deviation.
Worked example
A mean of 50 and standard deviation of 5 gives CV = 0.1, or 10%. A mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15 gives 15%.
Assumptions and boundaries
- The standard CV result requires a mean greater than zero.
- Standard deviation must be nonnegative.
- CV is most meaningful for positive ratio-scale measurements with a meaningful zero.
- A lower or higher CV is not automatically better; interpretation depends on the data and purpose.
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