In comparing two percentage-based measurements, a difference of 'percentage points' represents:

• A. The ratio of the two percentages.
• B. The absolute difference between the two percentage values.
• C. The average of the two percentages.
• D. The relative percent change.

Answer: (B)

Difference in percentage points is the simple, absolute gap between two percentage values. You just subtract one percentage from the other, and the result is how many points apart they are. For example, going from 40% to 25% is a difference of 15 percentage points. This is not the same as a relative change, which would compare the amount of change to the original value (for instance, (40% − 25%)/25% = 60% relative change). It’s also not a ratio or an average—the ratio would compare the two percentages (40% ÷ 25% = 1.6) and the average would be (40% + 25%)/2 = 32.5%. So the 15 points directly describe the gap between the two percentages.