Does 0.1% sound like a big number? Stripped of important context, it’s almost impossible to tell.

Context is crucial in understanding whether numbers are big or not, particularly when it comes to percentages. 2% might sound like a small number of people, but if it’s of all people in the world, it’s a lot; 80% might sound like a lot of people, but if it’s of the people who work in your office; it’s a lot less. Whenever we see percentages quoted, we should be asking “as a percentage of what?”, “how much does 100% actually correspond to?” and “what is 100%; a number of people, a sum of money, or something else?”.

In this video, Mark demonstrates how numbers can look big or small in relation to the whole ecosystem in which they sit.