Panel Attrition Rate Calculator
Find what share of a research panel disengaged over a period.
How panel attrition rate works
Panel attrition rate measures what share of a research panel stops participating over a given period — the metric panel managers use to plan recruitment and forecast panel health.
Enter the panel's starting size for the period and how many panelists were lost (opted out, went inactive, or were removed). The calculator returns the attrition rate as a percentage.
Attrition is normal in any longitudinal panel; the useful signal is the trend over time and how it compares to your recruitment rate, not a single snapshot in isolation.
The formula
Attrition rate = Panelists lost ÷ Starting panel size × 100
Divide the number of panelists lost during the period by the panel's starting size, then multiply by 100.
Worked example
900 panelists at the start of the quarter, 45 lost
45 ÷ 900 × 100 = 5% attrition for the quarter.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as "lost"?
Whatever your organization defines as disengagement — opt-outs, inactivity past a threshold, or removals for quality reasons. Apply the same definition consistently period over period.
What is a healthy attrition rate?
It varies widely by panel type and incentive structure. The more useful comparison is your own panel's trend over time, and whether recruitment is outpacing attrition.
How is this different from Employee Turnover Rate?
The formula is the same ratio, but the population is different — a research panel of respondents, not an organization's workforce. Keep the two metrics and their context separate.
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