Incidence Rate Calculator
Find the percentage of screened respondents who qualify for your study.
How incidence rate works
In market research, incidence rate is the percentage of screened respondents who qualify for a study. It tells you how common the target audience is within the people you screen.
It is a critical planning number: a low incidence rate means you must screen many people to fill each qualified interview, which raises your fieldwork cost. Agencies and clients use it to price studies and estimate how many screeners to send.
Incidence rate is not response rate (completed out of invited) and not completion rate (finished out of started). It only describes qualification among those screened.
The formula
Incidence rate = qualified respondents ÷ screened respondents × 100
Divide the number of respondents who qualified by the number screened, then multiply by 100.
Worked example
800 screened, 200 qualified
200 ÷ 800 × 100 = 25%. So one in four screened respondents qualifies for the study.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good incidence rate?
It depends on the target audience. Broad consumer studies may have high incidence, while niche B2B or specialist audiences can be in single digits. Lower incidence means more screening cost.
How is incidence used in costing?
If incidence is 25%, you expect to screen about four people to get one qualified respondent. That screening effort is built into the cost per completed interview.
Is incidence the same as response rate?
No. Incidence is the share of screened people who qualify. Response rate is the share of invited people who complete. They measure different stages of the fieldwork funnel.
Related research methods
- Survey Research
When to use this tool
Use this to estimate how many contacts you need to screen to reach your eligible sample target.
Assumptions
- An accurate estimate of the eligibility share in your population.
Limitations
- Incidence rates vary by source and screening criteria; small screening samples give unstable estimates.
How to interpret the result
The incidence rate is the proportion of screened contacts who are eligible; lower incidence means more screening is needed.
How to report the result
Report the screened count, eligible count, and the incidence rate used for sample planning.
Next steps in your analysis
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