How to Calculate Sample Size

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Last Updated: July 21, 2023 Fact Checked

Scientific studies often rely on surveys distributed among a sample of some total population. Your
sample will need to include a certain number of people, however, if you want it to accurately reflect
the conditions of the overall population it's meant to represent. To calculate your necessary sample
size, you'll need to determine several set values and plug them into an appropriate formula.

Part
Part 1 of 4:
1
Determining Key Values
Know your population size. Population size refers to the total number of people within
1 your demographic. For larger studies, you can use an approximated value instead of
the precise number.
Precision has a greater statistical impact when you work with a smaller group. For
instance, if you wish to perform a survey among members of a local organization or
employees of a small business, the population size should be accurate within a dozen
or so people.[1]
Larger surveys allow for a greater deviance in the actual population. For example, if
your demographic includes everyone living in the United States, you could estimate the
size to roughly 320 million people, even though the actual value may vary by hundreds
of thousands.

Determine your margin of error. Margin of error, also referred to as "confidence

2 interval," refers to the amount of error you wish to allow in your results.[2]
The margin of error is a percentage the indicates how close your sample results will be
to the true value of the overall population discussed in your study.
Smaller margin of errors will result in more accurate answers, but choosing a smaller
margin of error will also require a larger sample.
When the results of a survey are presented, the margin of error usually appears as a
plus or minus percentage. For example: "35% of people agree with option A, with a
margin of error of +/- 5%"
In this example, the margin of error essentially indicates that, if the entire population
were asked the same poll question, you are “confident” that somewhere between
30% (35 - 5) and 40% (35 + 5) would agree with option A.
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Set your confidence level. Confidence level is closely related to confidence interval
3 (margin of error). This value measures your degree of certainty regarding how well a
sample represents the overall population within your chosen margin of error.[3]
In other words, choosing a confidence level of 95% allows you to claim that you 95%
certain that your results accurately fall within your chosen margin of error.
A larger confidence level indicates a greater degree of accuracy, but it will also require a
larger sample. The most common confidence levels are 90% confident, 95% confident,
and 99% confident.
Setting a confidence level of 95% for the example stated in the margin of error step
would mean that you are 95% certain that 30% to 40% of the total concerned population
would agree with option A of your survey.

Specify your standard of deviation. The standard of deviation indicates how much
4 variation you expect among your responses.
Extreme answers are more likely to be accurate than moderate results.
Plainly stated, if 99% of your survey responses answer "Yes" and only 1% answer
"No," the sample probably represents the overall population very accurately.
On the other hand, if 45% answer "Yes" and 55% answer "No," there is a greater
chance of error.
Since this value is difficult to determine you give the actual survey, most researchers set
this value at 0.5 (50%). This is the worst case scenario percentage, so sticking with this
value will guarantee that your calculated sample size is large enough to accurately
represent the overall population within your confidence interval and confidence level.

Find your Z-score. The Z-score is a constant value automatically set based on your
5 confidence level. It indicates the "standard normal score," or the number of standard
deviations between any selected value and the average/mean of the population.
You can calculate z-scores by hand, look for an online calculator, or find your z-score on
a z-score table. Each of these methods can be fairly complex, however.
Since confidence levels are fairly standardized, most researchers simply memorize the
necessary z-score for the most common confidence levels:
80% confidence => 1.28 z-score
85% confidence => 1.44 z-score
90% confidence => 1.65 z-score
95% confidence => 1.96 z-score
99% confidence => 2.58 z-score

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Part
Part 2 of 4:
2
Using the Standard Formula
Look at the equation.[4] If you have a small to moderate population and know all of the
1 key values, you should use the standard formula. The standard formula for sample size
is:
2 2
Sample Size = [z * p(1-p)] / e / 1 + [z2 * p(1-p)] / e2 * N]

N = population size
z = z-score
e = margin of error
p = standard of deviation

Plug in your values. Replace the variable placeholders with the numerical values that
2 actually apply to your specific survey.
Example: Determine the ideal survey size for a population size of 425 people. Use a
99% confidence level, a 50% standard of deviation, and a 5% margin of error.
For 99% confidence, you would have a z-score of 2.58.
This means that:
N = 425
z = 2.58
e = 0.05
p = 0.5

Do the math. Solve the equation using the newly inserted numerical values. The
3 solution represents your necessary sample size.
2 2
Example: Sample Size = [z * p(1-p)] / e / 1 + [z2 * p(1-p)] / e2 * N]
2 2
= [2.58 * 0.5(1-0.5)] / 0.05 / 1 + [2.582 * 0.5(1-0.5)] / 0.052 * 425]
= [6.6564 * 0.25] / 0.0025 / 1 + [6.6564 * 0.25] / 1.0625]
= 665 / 2.5663
= 259.39(final answer)

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Part
Part 3 of 4:
3
Creating a Formula for Unknown or Very Large Populations
Examine the formula.[5] If you have a very large population or an unknown one, you'll
1
need to use a secondary formula. If you still have values for the remainder of the
variables, use the equation:
 Sample Size = [z2 * p(1-p)] / e2
z = z-score
e = margin of error
p = standard of deviation
Note that this equation is merely the top half of the full formula.

Plug your values into the equation. Replace each variable placeholder with the
2 numerical values chosen for your survey.
Example: Determine the necessary survey size for an unknown population with a 90%
confidence level, 50% standard of deviation, a 3% margin of error.
For 90% confidence, use the z-score would be 1.65.
This means that:
z = 1.65
e = 0.03
p = 0.5

Do the math. After plugging you numbers into the formula, solve the equation. Your
3 answer will indicate your necessary sample size.

Example: Sample Size = [z2 * p(1-p)] / e2

= [1.652 * 0.5(1-0.5)] / 0.032
= [2.7225 * 0.25] / 0.0009
= 0.6806 / 0.0009
= 756.22 (final answer)

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Part
Part 4 of 4:
4
Using Slovin's Formula
Look at the formula.[6] Slovin's formula is a very general equation used when you can
1 estimate the population but have no idea about how a certain population behaves. The
formula is described as:

Sample Size = N / (1 + N*e2)

N = population size
e = margin of error
Note that this is the least accurate formula and, as such, the least ideal. You should only
use this if circumstances prevent you from determining an appropriate standard of
deviation and/or confidence level (thereby preventing you from determining your z-
score, as well).
 Plug in the numbers. Replace each variable placeholder with the numerical values
2 that apply specifically to your survey.
Example: Calculate the necessary survey size for a population of 240, allowing for a 4%
margin of error.
This means that:
N = 240
e = 0.04

Do the math. Solve the equation using your survey-specific numbers. The answer you
3 arrive at should be your necessary survey size.[7]

Example: Sample Size = N / (1 + N*e2)

= 240 / (1 + 240 * 0.042)

= 240 / (1 + 240 * 0.0016)
= 240 / (1 + 0.384}
= 240 / (1.384)
= 173.41 (final answer)

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Community Q&A

Question

If the total population size is not given in the problem, what formula will apply?

Community Answer

If the population size is not given, then a t-distribution formula is applicable.

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Tips
 References

1. https://www.khanacademy.org/math/ap-statistics/gathering-data-ap/sampling-observational-
studies/e/identifying-population-sample
2. https://www.khanacademy.org/math/statistics-probability/confidence-intervals-one-
sample/estimating-population-proportion/v/margin-of-error-1
3. https://www.khanacademy.org/math/ap-statistics/xfb5d8e68:inference-categorical-
proportions/introduction-confidence-intervals/a/interpreting-confidence-levels-and-
confidence-intervals
4. https://www.mathsisfun.com/data/standard-deviation-formulas.html
5. https://www.mathsisfun.com/data/standard-deviation.html
6. https://prudencexd.weebly.com/
7. https://www.mathsisfun.com/data/sampling.html
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