Create quantile groups online
The Quantile Group Generator divides numeric observations into groups according to their position in the distribution. You can create quartiles, quintiles, deciles or another number of approximately equal-sized groups.
The original numeric variable remains unchanged and a new quantile group variable is appended to your CSV or Excel dataset.
Quartiles, quintiles and deciles
| Grouping | Groups | Approximate share per group |
|---|---|---|
| Quartiles | 4 | 25% |
| Quintiles | 5 | 20% |
| Deciles | 10 | 10% |
How to create quartiles or quintiles
- Upload a CSV, XLSX or XLS file.
- Load the variables in your dataset.
- Select the numeric variable to classify.
- Enter a name for the new group variable.
- Choose quartiles, quintiles, deciles or a custom number of groups.
- Click Create Quantile Groups.
- Download the resulting dataset.
Quantile grouping example
If an income variable is divided into five groups, records with the lowest values are assigned to the first quintile and records with the highest values are assigned to the fifth quintile.
income,quintile 18000,Q1 25000,Q1 29000,Q2 33000,Q2 42000,Q3 51000,Q4 67000,Q5 75000,Q5
Custom groups vs quantile groups
Quantile groups are based on the distribution of observations. Custom groups use fixed boundaries that you define yourself.
Use the Custom Group Generator when you need predefined ranges such as age 0–17, 18–34 and 35–59. Use the Quantile Group Generator when you want to divide observations into groups according to their rank in the dataset.
Similar to ranking into groups in statistical software
Statistical packages such as SPSS, Stata and R can create ranked or quantile-based groups. This browser-based tool provides a simpler workflow for common quartile, quintile and decile grouping tasks.
Frequently asked questions
What is a quartile?
A quartile divides ordered observations into four groups, each containing approximately one quarter of the valid observations.
What is a quintile?
A quintile divides ordered observations into five approximately equal-sized groups.
What is a decile?
A decile divides ordered observations into ten approximately equal-sized groups.
Can I choose another number of groups?
Yes. Select Custom and enter the number of groups you want to create.
Does the tool change the original numeric variable?
No. The original variable is preserved and the new quantile group variable is appended as the last column.
What happens to missing or non-numeric values?
They are left blank in the new quantile group variable.
Can I use Excel files?
Yes. CSV, XLSX and XLS files are supported.
Is my dataset uploaded?
No. Quantile grouping is performed locally in your browser.