Five Number Summary Calculator
Enter your data set below to instantly get the minimum, Q1, median, Q3, and maximum.
What Is a Five Number Summary?
It's a compact description of a data set's spread and center, built from the minimum, the three quartiles from the quartile calculator, and the maximum. It's the exact data a box plot is drawn from.
Worked example
Data set: 2, 4, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15, 16, 20 (already sorted, n = 11)
Minimum = 2, Maximum = 20
Median = 8 (the middle value)
Q1 = 4.5, Q3 = 13.5
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a five number summary?
It's a quick snapshot of a data set's shape using five values: the minimum, Q1 (25th percentile), the median, Q3 (75th percentile), and the maximum.
How does a five number summary relate to a box plot?
A box plot is a direct visual drawing of the five number summary. The box spans from Q1 to Q3, a line inside marks the median, and lines (whiskers) extend out toward the minimum and maximum.
Why include the minimum and maximum instead of just the quartiles?
The min and max show the full range of the data, including how far outliers stretch, which the quartiles alone don't capture. Together, all five numbers give a fuller picture than any single statistic.
Related Calculators
- Standard Deviation Calculator — Statistics
- Percentile Calculator — Statistics
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