How to Write Statistics for Impact

A well-placed stat will add weight to your writing—particularly when it’s referenced with a credible source. When working with numbers, all care must be taken to not misinterpret or over-simplify the data. There are therefore good reasons to reproduce stats from academic sources with minimal paraphrasing. However, you’re not writing an academic paper—and not everyone was born with a mind for numbers. For some readers, even simple percentages can lack meaning.

If you’re using a statistic for emphasis rather than precision, consider dropping the % sign entirely and reducing your stat to its lowest denominator. This simple technique makes percentages more accessible to more readers.

How to simplify statistics for the non-numerically minded

• greater than 90% 👉nearly all
• 90% 👉nine out of ten
• 80% 👉four out of five
• 75% 👉three out of four
• 65-70% 👉two out of three
• over 50% 👉over half / most / the majority
• Near 50% 👉half / every second
• under 50% 👉less than half
• 30-35% 👉one in three
• 25% 👉one in four
• 20% 👉one in five
• 10% 👉one in ten
• 5% 👉one in twenty

You don’t have to be a statistician to use stats effectively. However, if you know you’re not a ‘numbers person’, run your stats by someone who is. This little fail-safe will help protect your organization’s credibility against any embarrassing accidental misrepresentations.