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Calculate the coefficient of variation (CV) to compare relative variability across datasets with different units or means.
Standard deviation divided by mean, expressed as a percentage.
CV is dimensionless (unit-free), making it ideal for comparing variability between datasets with different units or vastly different means.
Use CV when comparing datasets with different units (like kg vs cm) or vastly different magnitudes (like stock returns vs GDP). Standard deviation alone can't make such comparisons meaningful.
CV is problematic when the mean is near zero or negative. It's designed for ratio-scale data with a meaningful zero point (like heights, weights, or concentrations).