The general probability that an event will occur over time.
A statistical term referring to the “per” number in a given rate. A ratio or proportion is often expressed as a percentage (per 100), but it may also be expressed per 1,000, per 10,000, per 100,000, or even per million. These “per” numbers are called the “base.” Thus a percentage is said to have 100 as the base. The base chosen is usually large enough to ensure that the rate will be expressed in whole numbers; the more rare the event, the larger the base used. For example, a death rate of 7 per 10,000 simply is easier to understand than a rate of 0.07 percent, although both actually give the same information.