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2/5 as a percentage

Make the bottom 100: 2/5 = 40/100, and per cent means out of 100, so 2/5 is 40%.

The answer

2/5 = 40%

How to turn 2/5 into a percentage

Per cent means out of 100, so a percentage is a fraction with a bottom of 100.

  1. Make the bottom 100: 5 × 20 = 100.
  2. Do the same to the top: 2 × 20 = 40.
  3. So 2/5 = 40/100, which is 40%.

2/5 as a fraction, decimal and percentage

FractionDecimalPercentage
2/50.440%

Multiply the top and bottom by the same number and the fraction keeps its value: 2/5, 4/10, 6/15, 8/20 and 10/25 are all equal.

Looking for 4/10? It is the same as 2/5, so it gives the same decimal and percentage.

40 squares out of 100 are shaded: 40/100, which is 40%.

All the fifths

Every fifth is 2 tenths: 2/5 is 2 × 2 = 4 tenths, which is 0.4.

2/5 sits between 1/3 (0.333...) and 1/2 (0.5). It is closer to 1/3.

FractionPercentage
1/520%
2/540%
3/560%
4/580%

Shade 2/5 on a fraction wall

The wall opens with 2/5 shaded in the fifths row. Look straight down: the shading ends in exactly the same place in 4/10, so it is equal to 2/5. Tap other pieces to try more fractions.

A fraction wall from halves to tenths, opening on 2/5.

Keep going

Questions parents ask

What is 2/5 as a percentage?

2/5 = 40%.

What percentage is 2 out of 5?

2 out of 5 is 40%, because 2 out of 5 is the fraction 2/5.

How do you turn 2/5 into a percentage?

Make the bottom 100. 5 × 20 = 100, so multiply the top by 20 too: 2/5 = 40/100. Per cent means out of 100, so 2/5 = 40%.

What is 2/5 as a decimal?

2/5 = 0.4.

Is 2/5 more or less than 50%?

2/5 is less than 50%: 0.4 is less than 0.5. Half of 5 is 2.5, and 2 is less than 2.5.

Fractions, decimals and percentages run all through 11+ maths

Converting between them turns up in 11+ questions on percentages, ratio, money and data. The free diagnostic checks maths, English and both kinds of reasoning, and shows what to practise next. No card is required.