Per capita rates in EPSO numerical reasoning
Spending per inhabitant, books per 1,000 inhabitants, cases per 100,000: one division, then a scale. Almost every mistake here is a unit (thousands against millions) or a row.
4,172 answers, last 60 days · The test gives you 2 minutes per question (10 questions in 20 minutes).
How to recognise it
- How much was spent per inhabitant in 2023?
- How many X were there per 1,000 inhabitants?
- Which country has the highest rate per 100,000 population?
The method
- Take the quantity and the population of the same country and the same year.
- Put both in the same unit, or check that their units cancel (millions over millions).
- Divide the quantity by the population.
- Multiply by 1,000 or 100,000 if the question asks per 1,000 or per 100,000.
Worked example
A question from our bank, in EPSO format.
| Country | Library books (millions) | Population (millions) |
|---|---|---|
| Estonia | 7.98 | 1.33 |
| Latvia | 8.76 | 1.825 |
| Lithuania | 16.1 | 2.8 |
| Malta | 1.56 | 0.52 |
How many public library books were there per 1,000 inhabitants in Estonia in 2023?
Choose an answer to see the solution.
The traps
Thousands against millions
A quantity in thousands divided by a population in millions is off by a factor of 1,000, and EPSO puts that result among the options. Write the unit next to each figure before dividing.
Forgetting the scale
"Per 1,000 inhabitants" means one more multiplication by 1,000. Stopping at 6.0 is a classic.
The wrong row
In the example, three of the four wrong options are the right calculation for another country. Read the row name twice.
Rate to total
The reverse question (total spending from spending per inhabitant) is a multiplication: total = rate × population.
With the EPSO calculator
When both columns share a unit, divide the printed figures directly (7.98 ÷ 1.33) and apply the scale at the end. Do not type the zeros of "7.98 million": that is where digits get lost.
Practise this calculation
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Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate a rate per 1,000 inhabitants?
Divide the quantity by the population (same unit), then multiply by 1,000.
What is the most common per capita mistake in EPSO tests?
Mixing units: a quantity in thousands divided by a population in millions gives a result 1,000 times too small, which is usually an option.