Valid percentage: what it means and how to read it

In the report: Valid Percentage — The share among the valid answers: missing and not applicable are left out, and _other too when the labels are closed.

How to read it

The share among those who answered — the percentage usually reported: "38% chose normal". SPSS calls it Valid Percent.

SPSS's Cumulative Percent is not reported: for an ordered scale add up Valid Percentage row by row.

In plain words

A teacher asked 50 students how they get to school. For 5 of them the question did not apply, 9 left it blank and 18 chose the bus. She wanted to say how many of the students who answered chose the bus. Valid Percentage leaves out both the blanks and those the question did not apply to. So 18 out of the 36 who answered gave her 50 percent. Now she can say that half of the students who answered take the bus. This is the share people usually write in a report.

How it is computed

Amount / valid answers · 100, rounded to 2 decimals

Example

The cell with Valid Percentage is selected in each report; point at a label to see its note.

— the sample data (50 rows) the examples use
— ranges: [1,3), [3,6), [6,11) =STATS_FREQUENCIES(Data!A1:T51, "/q/", "good:1:3,normal:3:6,bad:6:11")

Where you see it

STATS_FREQUENCIES — Calculates frequencies for chosen columns.

Not applicable — Cells with "." — the question did not apply to the respondent; they are kept apart from missing answers.
Adjusted residuals — With details = TRUE: the adjusted standardized residual of each cell (SPSS "Adjusted Residual"): how far the count is from the one expected if the two columns were independent, in standard errors. Empty when there is one row or one column.
Chi-Square Tests — With details = TRUE: the tests of the table as in SPSS CROSSTABS /STATISTICS=CHISQ, at the very end of the report. Pearson Chi-Square, Likelihood Ratio and N of Valid Cases are always there; Continuity Correction and Fisher's Exact Test only for a 2 × 2 table; Linear-by-Linear Association only when both columns have codes (numbers, or labels with numbers).
Symmetric Measures — With details = TRUE: the strength of the relation, Phi and Cramér's V, as in SPSS CROSSTABS /STATISTICS=PHI. Follows the Chi-Square Tests table.
N of Valid Cases — The rows the test is computed on: both answers present and applicable.

Get it in your sheet

One formula in a cell gives the whole report, Valid percentage included. ALS Stats is a free add-on for Google Sheets™.

Install ALS Stats from Google Workspace Marketplace (opens in a new tab)