function calculateRefusalRate() {
// Clear previous errors
var errorDiv = document.getElementById('error_message');
var resultDiv = document.getElementById('results');
errorDiv.style.display = 'none';
// Get input values
var totalInput = document.getElementById('total_applications').value;
var refusalsInput = document.getElementById('total_refusals').value;
// Validation Logic
if (totalInput === "" || refusalsInput === "") {
errorDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter both the total number of applications and the number of refusals.";
errorDiv.style.display = 'block';
resultDiv.style.display = 'none';
return;
}
var total = parseFloat(totalInput);
var refusals = parseFloat(refusalsInput);
if (isNaN(total) || isNaN(refusals)) {
errorDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter valid numeric values.";
errorDiv.style.display = 'block';
resultDiv.style.display = 'none';
return;
}
if (total <= 0) {
errorDiv.innerHTML = "Total applications must be greater than zero.";
errorDiv.style.display = 'block';
resultDiv.style.display = 'none';
return;
}
if (refusals total) {
errorDiv.innerHTML = "Number of refusals cannot exceed the total number of applications.";
errorDiv.style.display = 'block';
resultDiv.style.display = 'none';
return;
}
// Calculation Logic
var refusalRate = (refusals / total) * 100;
var approvalRate = 100 – refusalRate;
var successes = total – refusals;
// Update UI
resultDiv.style.display = 'block';
document.getElementById('display_refusal_rate').innerHTML = refusalRate.toFixed(2) + '%';
document.getElementById('display_approval_rate').innerHTML = approvalRate.toFixed(2) + '%';
document.getElementById('display_total').innerHTML = total.toLocaleString();
document.getElementById('display_refusals').innerHTML = refusals.toLocaleString();
document.getElementById('display_successes').innerHTML = successes.toLocaleString();
// Update Progress Bar
document.getElementById('rate_progress').style.width = refusalRate + '%';
// Color coding based on severity (subjective, but visually helpful)
var rateElement = document.getElementById('display_refusal_rate');
var barElement = document.getElementById('rate_progress');
if(refusalRate > 50) {
rateElement.style.color = "#dc3545"; // Red
barElement.style.backgroundColor = "#dc3545";
} else if (refusalRate > 20) {
rateElement.style.color = "#fd7e14"; // Orange
barElement.style.backgroundColor = "#fd7e14";
} else {
rateElement.style.color = "#28a745"; // Green (Low refusal is usually good)
barElement.style.backgroundColor = "#28a745";
}
}
What is a Refusal Rate?
The Refusal Rate is a critical metric used across various industries—from immigration services and banking to marketing and survey research—to measure the percentage of requests, applications, or attempts that are rejected or declined. It serves as an inverse indicator of success or approval.
Understanding your refusal rate helps identifying inefficiencies in an application process, the strictness of a selection criteria, or the quality of the leads being processed. A high refusal rate often signals that the applicants do not meet the required criteria or that the criteria itself is too stringent.
How to Calculate Refusal Rate
The calculation for refusal rate is straightforward. It is the ratio of refused applications to the total number of applications processed, expressed as a percentage.
Let's say a bank receives 200 loan applications in a month. After reviewing the credit scores and income documents, the underwriting team rejects 40 of these applications.
Total Applications: 200
Total Refusals: 40
Calculation: (40 ÷ 200) × 100 = 0.20 × 100 = 20%
In this scenario, the refusal rate is 20%, meaning the approval rate is 80%.
Common Applications of Refusal Rate
1. Visa and Immigration
Perhaps the most common use of this metric is in tracking Visa Refusal Rates. Embassies publish these statistics to show how many applicants from specific countries are denied entry. Factors influencing this include incomplete documentation, insufficient funds, or lack of ties to the home country.
2. Banking and Lending
Financial institutions track refusal rates for credit cards, mortgages, and personal loans. A rising refusal rate might indicate an economic downturn where fewer applicants meet creditworthiness standards, or it may suggest that the bank's marketing is targeting the wrong demographic.
3. Survey Research
In statistical sampling and market research, the refusal rate measures the percentage of people contacted who decline to participate in the survey. A high refusal rate can introduce non-response bias, making the survey results less representative of the general population.
4. Email Marketing
While often referred to as "bounce rate" or "opt-out rate," the refusal rate in marketing can effectively measure how many customers actively reject an offer or unsubscribe relative to the total audience reached.
How to Lower a High Refusal Rate
Whether you are an applicant trying to avoid rejection or an administrator trying to improve process efficiency, lowering the refusal rate involves specific strategies:
Pre-Screening: Ensure that only qualified candidates apply. For loans or visas, this means checking eligibility requirements before submitting the official paperwork.
Better Documentation: Incomplete applications are a leading cause of refusal. Using checklists to ensure all fields are filled and documents attached can significantly reduce rejection numbers.
Targeted Outreach: In sales and surveys, reaching out to a warmer, more relevant audience reduces the likelihood of being turned down.
Transparency: Clearly communicating the criteria for acceptance helps manage expectations and reduces "hopeful" applications that are destined for refusal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a low refusal rate always better?
Generally, yes, as it implies high efficiency and success. However, in contexts like lending or university admissions, an extremely low refusal rate might suggest that the standards are too low, potentially admitting unqualified candidates or high-risk borrowers.
What is the difference between Refusal Rate and Rejection Rate?
In most contexts, these terms are used interchangeably. However, in survey research, "Refusal Rate" specifically refers to people who were contacted and explicitly said no, whereas "Non-Contact Rate" refers to people who simply couldn't be reached.
Does this calculator work for Visa Refusals?
Yes. Simply enter the total number of visa applications lodged and the number of visas denied to calculate the specific refusal rate for that embassy or country.