smallest percentage

USAGE SUMMARY

"smallest percentage" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when talking about an amount that is a fraction of a whole or a percentage of something. For example, "The smallest percentage of students in the class scored above 80% on the exam."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

The third-quarter deficit represented the smallest percentage of the economy since the spring of 2009.

The New York Times

It would be the smallest percentage gain for global ad spending since a 2.6percentt increase in 1998.

The New York Times

Last year it narrowed to $201 billion, less than 2.8% of the country's GDP, the smallest percentage since 2002.

The Economist

The biggest loss has been experienced by WNET, Channel 13, because it has the smallest percentage of viewers who subscribe to cable television.

The New York Times

In the worst-performing areas, Doncaster, Bradford and Wakefield were among those with the smallest percentage of successful primaries, alongside Luton, Peterborough and Bedford.

The Guardian

The role of author was also the least unpopular job amongst respondents, added YouGov, with the smallest percentage of people – 32% – not wanting to be one.

The Guardian - Books

Last week, the governor made public his 2007 tax returns, which showed that, among statewide elected officials, he had given the smallest percentage of his income to charity.

The New York Times

Compared to similar suburban counties in the New York metropolitan area, Long Island has the smallest percentage of rentals in its housing stock.

The New York Times

In Germany's parliamentary elections in 2009, the CSU, continuing to falter, garnered the smallest percentage of the Bavarian vote (42.6 percent) since 1949.

Encyclopedia Britannica

RBS will also get a seat on BoC's board.The giant stumblesWal-Mart posted its smallest percentage increase in quarterly profits for four years.

The Economist

When America fights the longest period of sustained combat in its history with the smallest percentage of its population ever, how could everyone else not feel disconnected?

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing multiple categories, use "smallest percentage" to clearly denote the category with the lowest proportion. For example, "The company found that the "smallest percentage" of their customers were from the western region."

Common error

Avoid using "small percentage" when you need to explicitly indicate the minimum proportion among several values. "Small percentage" simply means a low value, whereas "smallest percentage" specifies that it is the lowest among a set of percentages.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "smallest percentage" functions as a quantifying adjective phrase modifying an implied noun (e.g., "amount", "number"). It's used to specify the minimum proportion within a set of data or a comparison. Ludwig provides several examples illustrating this function.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

39%

Science

34%

Encyclopedias

7%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "smallest percentage" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to denote the minimum proportion in a comparison. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and provides numerous examples across various contexts, including news, science, and encyclopedias. When using this phrase, ensure you are highlighting the lowest value among a set of percentages, avoiding confusion with the more general term "small percentage". By following these guidelines, you can effectively communicate quantitative relationships with precision and clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

minimum proportion

Replaces "percentage" with "proportion", maintaining a similar meaning with a slightly different connotation.

least share

Uses "share" to represent the part of a whole, indicating a minimal allocation.

tiniest fraction

Emphasizes the minuscule size of the portion, using "fraction" instead of "percentage".

bottom percentile

Specifies a statistical ranking, indicating a value at the very low end of a distribution.

most limited amount

Replaces "percentage" with the more general term "amount", stressing the restriction in quantity.

negligible portion

Highlights the insignificance of the amount, using "portion" instead of "percentage".

lowest incidence

Suitable when referring to the frequency of an occurrence, indicating the rarest instances.

scarcest quantity

Focuses on the rarity and limited availability of the amount.

minimal extent

Shifts the focus to the degree or scope, using "extent" to convey a small quantity.

slightest measure

Emphasizes the subtlety or insignificance of the measurement.

FAQs

How do I use "smallest percentage" in a sentence?

Use "smallest percentage" to indicate the lowest proportion when comparing multiple values. For example, "The "smallest percentage" of survey respondents preferred the new design."

What's a good alternative to "smallest percentage"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "minimum proportion", "least share", or "tiniest fraction".

Is it correct to say "the minor percentage" instead of "smallest percentage"?

While "minor percentage" suggests a small amount, "smallest percentage" specifically indicates the lowest value in a comparison. Therefore, "smallest percentage" is more precise when you're referring to the minimum value among multiple percentages.

What's the difference between "smallest percentage" and "low percentage"?

"Low percentage" indicates that a value is generally low. "Smallest percentage", on the other hand, means that, in a comparison, one percentage is lower than all the others.