Coefficient of Variation (CV)

The coefficient of variation is reported as a percentage and calculated from the

average and standard deviation as follows:

100 * Standard Deviation

Average

For example, a CV of 3% means the standard deviation is

equal to 3% of the average. For some measures, the standard deviation
increases as the average increases. In this case, the CV is the best way to summarize the
variation. In other cases the standard deviation does not change with the average. In
this case, the standard deviation is the best way to summarize the variation.