The total number of units/people invited to participate.
The number of completed surveys or successful contacts.
Non-Response Rate:0%
Total Non-Respondents:0
Response Rate:0%
function calculateNonResponse() {
var totalSample = parseFloat(document.getElementById('totalSampleSize').value);
var totalResponses = parseFloat(document.getElementById('totalResponses').value);
var resultBox = document.getElementById('nrrResult');
// Input Validation
if (isNaN(totalSample) || isNaN(totalResponses)) {
alert("Please enter valid numbers for both fields.");
resultBox.style.display = 'none';
return;
}
if (totalSample totalSample) {
alert("Total Responses cannot be greater than the Total Sample Size.");
resultBox.style.display = 'none';
return;
}
if (totalResponses < 0) {
alert("Responses cannot be negative.");
resultBox.style.display = 'none';
return;
}
// Calculations
var nonRespondents = totalSample – totalResponses;
var nonResponseRate = (nonRespondents / totalSample) * 100;
var responseRate = (totalResponses / totalSample) * 100;
// Updating the DOM
document.getElementById('displayRate').innerText = nonResponseRate.toFixed(2) + "%";
document.getElementById('displayMissing').innerText = nonRespondents.toLocaleString();
document.getElementById('displayResponseRate').innerText = responseRate.toFixed(2) + "%";
resultBox.style.display = 'block';
}
How to Calculate Non-Response Rate
In survey research, marketing analysis, and data collection, the Non-Response Rate is a critical metric that measures the percentage of eligible participants in a sample who did not complete the survey or respond to the outreach. A high non-response rate can introduce non-response bias, potentially skewing your data and making your findings less representative of the total population.
The Non-Response Rate Formula
The calculation is straightforward. It compares the number of people who did not respond to the total number of eligible people who were invited to participate.
Non-Response Rate (%) = ( (Total Sample Size – Total Responses) / Total Sample Size ) × 100
Alternatively, if you already know the number of non-respondents:
Non-Response Rate (%) = (Number of Non-Respondents / Total Sample Size) × 100
Example Calculation
Let's say you are conducting a customer satisfaction survey.
You email the survey to 1,000 customers (Total Sample Size).
You receive completed surveys from 650 customers (Total Responses).
First, find the number of non-respondents: 1,000 – 650 = 350 non-respondents
Next, divide by the total sample size: 350 / 1,000 = 0.35
Finally, multiply by 100 to get the percentage: 0.35 × 100 = 35% Non-Response Rate.
Why is Non-Response Rate Important?
Data Validity: If the people who didn't respond share common characteristics (e.g., they are all unhappy customers), your data will be biased towards happy customers.
Cost Efficiency: High non-response rates in paid panels or direct mail campaigns mean a higher cost per valid response.
Statistical Power: A smaller number of responses reduces the sample size, which increases the margin of error in your results.
Types of Non-Response
Unit Non-Response: The potential respondent does not participate in the survey at all.
Item Non-Response: The respondent participates but skips specific questions (often sensitive ones like income or age). Note: The calculator above is designed for Unit Non-Response.
How to Lower Your Non-Response Rate
To improve data quality, consider these strategies:
Keep it short: Long surveys have higher abandonment rates.
Incentivize: Offering a small reward or discount can significantly boost participation.
Follow up: Sending reminders to non-respondents is one of the most effective ways to increase response rates.
Optimize timing: Send surveys when your audience is most likely to be available.