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The question is simple and eminently sensible but under the surface lies a hidden minefield. The answer probably depends on what you are trying to measure and why.

If I, my wide and three children live in a house with one bathtub in it, the ratio of bathtubs to people is 1/5 or 20%. Is that the percentage you want? In practice (and barring family warfare!), 100% of the family has access to a bathtub, so is that the appropriate percentage?


The problem gets even worse if we were rich enough to have two bathtubs in our house. Then the ratio become 2 bathtubs per 5 people: so is that 40%? Or is it 100% since all of as (as before) have access to a bathtub? Or, since we have twice as many as in the first scenario, 200%?


So, if it is not simple to answer this [simple] question for a family of 5, what hope do you have with millions of families?

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10y ago

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Q: What percentage of Americans have a bathtub?
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