SKEWNESS

• In probability theory and statistics, skewness is a measure of the

asymmetry of the probability distribution of a real-valued random
variable about its mean. The skewness value can be positive, zero,
negative, or undefined.
• Skewness is a measure of symmetry, or more precisely, the lack of
symmetry. A distribution, or data set, is symmetric if it looks the
same to the left and right of the center point.
• In statistics, skewness is a degree of asymmetry observed in a
probability distribution that deviates from the symmetrical normal
distribution (bell curve) in a given set of data.
FORMULA FOR SKEWNESS
CALCULATION OF SKEWNESS (STEP BY STEP)

• Firstly, form a data distribution of random variables, and these variables are denoted by
Xi .
• Next, figure out the number of variables available in the data distribution, and it is
denoted by N.
• Next, calculate the mean of the data distribution by dividing the sum of all the random
variables of the data distribution by the number of variables in the distribution. The
mean of the distribution is denoted by X.
CALCULATION OF SKEWNESS (STEP BY STEP)
• Next, determine the standard deviation of the distribution by using the deviations of each variable
from the mean, i.e., Xi – X and the number of variables in the distribution. The standard deviation
is calculated, as shown below.

• Finally, the calculation of skewness is done on the basis of the deviations of each variable from the
mean, a number of variables, and the standard deviation of the distribution, as shown below.
 First, let me remind you of a few basic terms:
• Mean is the average of the numbers in the data
distribution
• Median is the number that falls directly in the middle of
the data distribution
• Mode is the number that appears most frequently in the
data distribution.
• When data is symmetrically
distributed, the left-hand side,
and right-hand side, contain the
same number of observations. (If
the dataset has 90 values, then
the left-hand side has 45
observations, and the right-hand
side has 45 observations.). But,
what if not symmetrical
distributed? That data is called
asymmetrical data, and that time
skewnes comes into the picture.
 TYPES OF SKEWNESS
1. Positive skewed or right-skewed
In statistics, a positively skewed distribution is a
sort of distribution where, unlike symmetrically
distributed data where all measures of the
central tendency (mean, median, and mode)
equal each other, with positively skewed data,
the measures are dispersing, which means
Positively Skewed Distribution is a type of
distribution where the mean, median, and
mode of the distribution are positive rather than
negative or zero.
In positively skewed, the mean of the data is greater
than the median (a large number of data-pushed on
the right-hand side). In other words, the results are
bent towards the lower side. The mean will be more
than the median as the median is the middle value
and mode is always the highest value
2. Negative skewed or left-skewed
- A negatively skewed distribution is the straight reverse of a
positively skewed distribution. In statistics, negatively skewed
distribution refers to the distribution model where more values are
plots on the right side of the graph, and the tail of the distribution is
spreading on the left side.
- In negatively skewed, the mean of the data is less than the median
(a large number of data-pushed on the left-hand side). Negatively
Skewed Distribution is a type of distribution where the mean,
median, and mode of the distribution are negative rather than
positive or zero.
• Median is the middle
value, and mode is the
highest value, and due to
unbalanced distribution
median will be higher than
the mean.
EXAMPLE:
• Let us take the example of a summer camp in which 20 students assigned certain jobs
that they performed to earn money to raise funds for a school picnic. However, different
students earned a different amount of money. Based on the information given below,
determine the skewness in the income distribution among the students during the
summer camp.
• Solution:
The following is the data for the calculation of skewness.
EXAMPLE:
• Number of variables, n = 2 + 3 + 5 + 6 + 4= 20
• Let us calculate the midpoint of each of the intervals
• ($0 + $50) / 2 = $25
• ($50 + $100) / 2 = $75
• ($100 + $150) / 2 = $125
• ($150 + $200) / 2 = $175
• ($200 + $250) / 2 = $225
• Now, the mean of the distribution can be calculated as,