The coefficient of variation (CV) is a statistical measure of the relative dispersion of data points in a data series around the mean. It is calculated as the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean. Expressing the result as a percentage facilitates the comparison of variability between datasets with differing units or means. In Microsoft Excel, determining this value requires utilizing built-in functions to first compute the standard deviation and the average of the dataset.
The benefit of using the CV lies in its scale-free nature. Unlike the standard deviation, which is expressed in the same units as the data, the CV is a unitless measure. This characteristic is particularly valuable when assessing the consistency of data across diverse contexts, such as comparing the volatility of investment portfolios with different average returns or analyzing the precision of measurements obtained using different scales. Its use extends across fields from finance and engineering to biology and social sciences, providing a standardized way to evaluate data variability. Historically, its development enabled more meaningful comparisons in situations where absolute measures of dispersion were insufficient.