Definition Quantile

A quantile defines a particular part of a data set, i.e., a quantile determines how many values in a distribution are above or below a certain limit. Special quantiles are the quartile (quarter), the decile (tenth), and percentiles (hundredth).

To provide an example: If we divide a distribution into four equal portions, we will speak of four quartiles. The first quartile includes all values that are smaller than a quarter of all values. In a graphical representation, it corresponds to 25% of the total area of a distribution. The two lower quartiles comprise 50% of all distribution values.

Please note that the definitions in our statistics encyclopedia are simplified explanations of terms. Our goal is to make the definitions accessible for a broad audience; thus it is possible that some definitions do not adhere entirely to scientific standards.