Survey Response Rate Calculator

Created:January 2, 2026

Last Updated:January 2, 2026

Calculate survey response rates, cooperation rates, refusal rates, and contact rates following AAPOR (American Association for Public Opinion Research) Standard Definitions. Essential for documenting survey methodology and assessing data quality in research studies.

What You'll Get:

Response Rates (RR1-RR6): Multiple AAPOR formulas for different scenarios
Cooperation Rate: Proportion of contacted respondents who completed the survey
Refusal Rate: Proportion who declined to participate
Contact Rate: Proportion successfully reached
Sampling Error: Margin of error based on response rate
Quality Assessment: Interpretation of response rate adequacy
APA-Style Report: Publication-ready methodology documentation

Important Notes:

Enter 0 for categories that don't apply to your survey
Higher response rates generally indicate better data quality
Response rates below 60% may require non-response bias analysis
Different fields (e.g., medical vs. social) have different acceptable response rate thresholds

Calculator

Survey Disposition Counts

Enter the number of cases in each disposition category. Leave blank or enter 0 for categories that don't apply.

Complete Interviews (I)*

Fully completed surveys

Partial Interviews (P)

Surveys started but not completed

Refusals (R)

Declined to participate

Non-contacts (NC)

Could not be reached after multiple attempts

Other (O)

Language barriers, incapacity, etc.

Unknown Eligibility (UH, UO)

Eligibility status could not be determined

Not Eligible (NE)

Did not meet survey inclusion criteria

Related Calculators

Likert Scale Analysis Calculator

Descriptive Statistics Calculator

Sample Size Calculator

One Proportion Z-Test

Learn More

Understanding Survey Response Rates

Definition

The response rate is the proportion of eligible sample members who completed the survey. It's a key indicator of survey quality and potential non-response bias. The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) provides standardized formulas to ensure consistent reporting across studies.

AAPOR Response Rates

RR1 (Minimum Response Rate)

RR1 = \frac{I}{(I + P) + (R + NC + O) + UE}

Most conservative estimate - only complete interviews count as responses

RR2

RR2 = \frac{I + P}{(I + P) + (R + NC + O) + UE}

Includes partial interviews as responses

RR3

RR3 = \frac{I}{(I + P) + (R + NC + O) + e(UE)}

Estimates eligibility rate among unknowns (e = estimated proportion eligible)

Other Important Rates

Cooperation Rate (COOP)

COOP = \frac{I}{I + P + R}

Proportion of contacted eligible persons who participated

Refusal Rate (REF)

REF = \frac{R}{(I + P) + (R + NC + O) + UE}

Proportion who refused to participate

Contact Rate (CON)

CON = \frac{(I + P) + R + O}{(I + P) + (R + NC + O) + UE}

Proportion of eligible cases that were contacted

Response Rate Guidelines

≥70%: Excellent - Low risk of non-response bias
60-70%: Good - Acceptable for most research
50-60%: Adequate - May require non-response analysis
<50%: Concerning - High risk of bias, requires careful interpretation

Note: Acceptable rates vary by field, population, and survey mode (e.g., online surveys typically have lower response rates than face-to-face interviews).

Improving Response Rates

Use multiple contact attempts (3-5 recommended)
Vary contact timing (day, evening, weekend)
Personalize invitation letters and follow-ups
Offer incentives (monetary or non-monetary)
Keep surveys concise (10-15 minutes ideal)
Ensure mobile-friendly design for online surveys
Build trust through institutional endorsements
Use mixed-mode approaches (web + mail + phone)

Practical Example

Health Survey Study

A health department surveyed 1,000 residents:

Complete interviews: 650
Partial interviews: 50
Refusals: 150
Non-contacts: 100
Other: 30
Unknown eligibility: 20

Results: RR1 = 65%, COOP = 76.5%, REF = 15%. This indicates a good response rate with relatively low refusal, suggesting the data is reasonably representative of the target population.

Code Examples

R Code Example

Calculate survey response rates using R:

# Survey disposition counts
I <- 650   # Complete interviews
P <- 50    # Partial interviews
R <- 150   # Refusals
NC <- 100  # Non-contacts
O <- 30    # Other
UE <- 20   # Unknown eligibility
NE <- 0    # Not eligible

# Calculate response rates (AAPOR formulas)
total_eligible <- (I + P) + (R + NC + O) + UE

# RR1: Minimum response rate
RR1 <- I / total_eligible
cat("RR1 (Minimum):", round(RR1 * 100, 2), "%\n")

# RR2: Includes partial interviews
RR2 <- (I + P) / total_eligible
cat("RR2:", round(RR2 * 100, 2), "%\n")

# Cooperation rate
COOP <- I / (I + P + R)
cat("Cooperation Rate:", round(COOP * 100, 2), "%\n")

# Refusal rate
REF <- R / total_eligible
cat("Refusal Rate:", round(REF * 100, 2), "%\n")

# Contact rate
CON <- ((I + P) + R + O) / total_eligible
cat("Contact Rate:", round(CON * 100, 2), "%\n")

# Total sample
total_sample <- I + P + R + NC + O + UE + NE
cat("\nTotal Sample:", total_sample)

Python Code Example

Calculate survey response rates using Python:

Python

# Survey disposition counts
I = 650   # Complete interviews
P = 50    # Partial interviews
R = 150   # Refusals
NC = 100  # Non-contacts
O = 30    # Other
UE = 20   # Unknown eligibility
NE = 0    # Not eligible

# Calculate response rates (AAPOR formulas)
total_eligible = (I + P) + (R + NC + O) + UE

# RR1: Minimum response rate
RR1 = I / total_eligible
print(f"RR1 (Minimum): {RR1 * 100:.2f}%")

# RR2: Includes partial interviews
RR2 = (I + P) / total_eligible
print(f"RR2: {RR2 * 100:.2f}%")

# Cooperation rate
COOP = I / (I + P + R)
print(f"Cooperation Rate: {COOP * 100:.2f}%")

# Refusal rate
REF = R / total_eligible
print(f"Refusal Rate: {REF * 100:.2f}%")

# Contact rate
CON = ((I + P) + R + O) / total_eligible
print(f"Contact Rate: {CON * 100:.2f}%")

# Total sample
total_sample = I + P + R + NC + O + UE + NE
print(f"\nTotal Sample: {total_sample}")

Excel Formula Example

Calculate survey response rates in Excel:

Excel

' Assume counts in cells:
' B1 = Complete Interviews (I)
' B2 = Partial Interviews (P)
' B3 = Refusals (R)
' B4 = Non-contacts (NC)
' B5 = Other (O)
' B6 = Unknown Eligibility (UE)

' Total Eligible (in B7):
=SUM(B1:B6)

' RR1 - Minimum Response Rate (in B8):
=B1/B7*100

' RR2 - With Partial (in B9):
=(B1+B2)/B7*100

' Cooperation Rate (in B10):
=B1/(B1+B2+B3)*100

' Refusal Rate (in B11):
=B3/B7*100

' Contact Rate (in B12):
=((B1+B2)+B3+B5)/B7*100

Verification

Survey Response Rate Calculator

Created:January 2, 2026

Last Updated:January 2, 2026

What You'll Get:

Response Rates (RR1-RR6): Multiple AAPOR formulas for different scenarios
Cooperation Rate: Proportion of contacted respondents who completed the survey
Refusal Rate: Proportion who declined to participate
Contact Rate: Proportion successfully reached
Sampling Error: Margin of error based on response rate
Quality Assessment: Interpretation of response rate adequacy
APA-Style Report: Publication-ready methodology documentation

Important Notes:

Enter 0 for categories that don't apply to your survey
Higher response rates generally indicate better data quality
Response rates below 60% may require non-response bias analysis
Different fields (e.g., medical vs. social) have different acceptable response rate thresholds

Calculator

Survey Disposition Counts

Enter the number of cases in each disposition category. Leave blank or enter 0 for categories that don't apply.

Complete Interviews (I)*

Fully completed surveys

Partial Interviews (P)

Surveys started but not completed

Refusals (R)

Declined to participate

Non-contacts (NC)

Could not be reached after multiple attempts

Other (O)

Language barriers, incapacity, etc.

Unknown Eligibility (UH, UO)

Eligibility status could not be determined

Not Eligible (NE)

Did not meet survey inclusion criteria

Related Calculators

Likert Scale Analysis Calculator

Descriptive Statistics Calculator

Sample Size Calculator

One Proportion Z-Test

Learn More

Understanding Survey Response Rates

Definition

AAPOR Response Rates

RR1 (Minimum Response Rate)

RR1 = \frac{I}{(I + P) + (R + NC + O) + UE}

Most conservative estimate - only complete interviews count as responses

RR2

RR2 = \frac{I + P}{(I + P) + (R + NC + O) + UE}

Includes partial interviews as responses

RR3

RR3 = \frac{I}{(I + P) + (R + NC + O) + e(UE)}

Estimates eligibility rate among unknowns (e = estimated proportion eligible)

Other Important Rates

Cooperation Rate (COOP)

COOP = \frac{I}{I + P + R}

Proportion of contacted eligible persons who participated

Refusal Rate (REF)

REF = \frac{R}{(I + P) + (R + NC + O) + UE}

Proportion who refused to participate

Contact Rate (CON)

CON = \frac{(I + P) + R + O}{(I + P) + (R + NC + O) + UE}

Proportion of eligible cases that were contacted

Response Rate Guidelines

≥70%: Excellent - Low risk of non-response bias
60-70%: Good - Acceptable for most research
50-60%: Adequate - May require non-response analysis
<50%: Concerning - High risk of bias, requires careful interpretation

Note: Acceptable rates vary by field, population, and survey mode (e.g., online surveys typically have lower response rates than face-to-face interviews).

Improving Response Rates

Use multiple contact attempts (3-5 recommended)
Vary contact timing (day, evening, weekend)
Personalize invitation letters and follow-ups
Offer incentives (monetary or non-monetary)
Keep surveys concise (10-15 minutes ideal)
Ensure mobile-friendly design for online surveys
Build trust through institutional endorsements
Use mixed-mode approaches (web + mail + phone)

Practical Example

Health Survey Study

A health department surveyed 1,000 residents:

Complete interviews: 650
Partial interviews: 50
Refusals: 150
Non-contacts: 100
Other: 30
Unknown eligibility: 20

Results: RR1 = 65%, COOP = 76.5%, REF = 15%. This indicates a good response rate with relatively low refusal, suggesting the data is reasonably representative of the target population.

Code Examples

R Code Example

Calculate survey response rates using R:

# Survey disposition counts
I <- 650   # Complete interviews
P <- 50    # Partial interviews
R <- 150   # Refusals
NC <- 100  # Non-contacts
O <- 30    # Other
UE <- 20   # Unknown eligibility
NE <- 0    # Not eligible

# Calculate response rates (AAPOR formulas)
total_eligible <- (I + P) + (R + NC + O) + UE

# RR1: Minimum response rate
RR1 <- I / total_eligible
cat("RR1 (Minimum):", round(RR1 * 100, 2), "%\n")

# RR2: Includes partial interviews
RR2 <- (I + P) / total_eligible
cat("RR2:", round(RR2 * 100, 2), "%\n")

# Cooperation rate
COOP <- I / (I + P + R)
cat("Cooperation Rate:", round(COOP * 100, 2), "%\n")

# Refusal rate
REF <- R / total_eligible
cat("Refusal Rate:", round(REF * 100, 2), "%\n")

# Contact rate
CON <- ((I + P) + R + O) / total_eligible
cat("Contact Rate:", round(CON * 100, 2), "%\n")

# Total sample
total_sample <- I + P + R + NC + O + UE + NE
cat("\nTotal Sample:", total_sample)

Python Code Example

Calculate survey response rates using Python:

Python

# Survey disposition counts
I = 650   # Complete interviews
P = 50    # Partial interviews
R = 150   # Refusals
NC = 100  # Non-contacts
O = 30    # Other
UE = 20   # Unknown eligibility
NE = 0    # Not eligible

# Calculate response rates (AAPOR formulas)
total_eligible = (I + P) + (R + NC + O) + UE

# RR1: Minimum response rate
RR1 = I / total_eligible
print(f"RR1 (Minimum): {RR1 * 100:.2f}%")

# RR2: Includes partial interviews
RR2 = (I + P) / total_eligible
print(f"RR2: {RR2 * 100:.2f}%")

# Cooperation rate
COOP = I / (I + P + R)
print(f"Cooperation Rate: {COOP * 100:.2f}%")

# Refusal rate
REF = R / total_eligible
print(f"Refusal Rate: {REF * 100:.2f}%")

# Contact rate
CON = ((I + P) + R + O) / total_eligible
print(f"Contact Rate: {CON * 100:.2f}%")

# Total sample
total_sample = I + P + R + NC + O + UE + NE
print(f"\nTotal Sample: {total_sample}")

Excel Formula Example

Calculate survey response rates in Excel:

Excel

' Assume counts in cells:
' B1 = Complete Interviews (I)
' B2 = Partial Interviews (P)
' B3 = Refusals (R)
' B4 = Non-contacts (NC)
' B5 = Other (O)
' B6 = Unknown Eligibility (UE)

' Total Eligible (in B7):
=SUM(B1:B6)

' RR1 - Minimum Response Rate (in B8):
=B1/B7*100

' RR2 - With Partial (in B9):
=(B1+B2)/B7*100

' Cooperation Rate (in B10):
=B1/(B1+B2+B3)*100

' Refusal Rate (in B11):
=B3/B7*100

' Contact Rate (in B12):
=((B1+B2)+B3+B5)/B7*100

Verification

# Survey disposition counts I <- 650 # Complete interviews P <- 50 # Partial interviews R <- 150 # Refusals NC <- 100 # Non-contacts O <- 30 # Other UE <- 20 # Unknown eligibility NE <- 0 # Not eligible # Calculate response rates (AAPOR formulas) total_eligible <- (I + P) + (R + NC + O) + UE # RR1: Minimum response rate RR1 <- I / total_eligible cat("RR1 (Minimum):", round(RR1 * 100, 2), "%\n") # RR2: Includes partial interviews RR2 <- (I + P) / total_eligible cat("RR2:", round(RR2 * 100, 2), "%\n") # Cooperation rate COOP <- I / (I + P + R) cat("Cooperation Rate:", round(COOP * 100, 2), "%\n") # Refusal rate REF <- R / total_eligible cat("Refusal Rate:", round(REF * 100, 2), "%\n") # Contact rate CON <- ((I + P) + R + O) / total_eligible cat("Contact Rate:", round(CON * 100, 2), "%\n") # Total sample total_sample <- I + P + R + NC + O + UE + NE cat("\nTotal Sample:", total_sample)

# Survey disposition counts I = 650 # Complete interviews P = 50 # Partial interviews R = 150 # Refusals NC = 100 # Non-contacts O = 30 # Other UE = 20 # Unknown eligibility NE = 0 # Not eligible # Calculate response rates (AAPOR formulas) total_eligible = (I + P) + (R + NC + O) + UE # RR1: Minimum response rate RR1 = I / total_eligible print(f"RR1 (Minimum): {RR1 * 100:.2f}%") # RR2: Includes partial interviews RR2 = (I + P) / total_eligible print(f"RR2: {RR2 * 100:.2f}%") # Cooperation rate COOP = I / (I + P + R) print(f"Cooperation Rate: {COOP * 100:.2f}%") # Refusal rate REF = R / total_eligible print(f"Refusal Rate: {REF * 100:.2f}%") # Contact rate CON = ((I + P) + R + O) / total_eligible print(f"Contact Rate: {CON * 100:.2f}%") # Total sample total_sample = I + P + R + NC + O + UE + NE print(f"\nTotal Sample: {total_sample}")

' Assume counts in cells: ' B1 = Complete Interviews (I) ' B2 = Partial Interviews (P) ' B3 = Refusals (R) ' B4 = Non-contacts (NC) ' B5 = Other (O) ' B6 = Unknown Eligibility (UE) ' Total Eligible (in B7): =SUM(B1:B6) ' RR1 - Minimum Response Rate (in B8): =B1/B7*100 ' RR2 - With Partial (in B9): =(B1+B2)/B7*100 ' Cooperation Rate (in B10): =B1/(B1+B2+B3)*100 ' Refusal Rate (in B11): =B3/B7*100 ' Contact Rate (in B12): =((B1+B2)+B3+B5)/B7*100

Survey Response Rate Calculator

What You'll Get:

Important Notes:

Calculator

Survey Disposition Counts

Related Calculators

Likert Scale Analysis Calculator

Descriptive Statistics Calculator

Sample Size Calculator

One Proportion Z-Test

Learn More

Understanding Survey Response Rates

Definition

AAPOR Response Rates

RR1 (Minimum Response Rate)

RR2

RR3

Other Important Rates

Cooperation Rate (COOP)

Refusal Rate (REF)

Contact Rate (CON)

Response Rate Guidelines

Improving Response Rates

Practical Example

Code Examples

R Code Example

Python Code Example

Excel Formula Example

Verification

View Verification Details

Survey Response Rate Calculator

What You'll Get:

Important Notes:

Calculator

Survey Disposition Counts

Related Calculators

Likert Scale Analysis Calculator

Descriptive Statistics Calculator

Sample Size Calculator

One Proportion Z-Test

Learn More

Understanding Survey Response Rates

Definition

AAPOR Response Rates

RR1 (Minimum Response Rate)

RR2

RR3

Other Important Rates

Cooperation Rate (COOP)

Refusal Rate (REF)

Contact Rate (CON)

Response Rate Guidelines

Improving Response Rates

Practical Example

Code Examples

R Code Example

Python Code Example

Excel Formula Example

Verification

View Verification Details

Survey Response Rate Calculator

What You'll Get:

Important Notes:

Calculator

Survey Disposition Counts

Related Calculators

Likert Scale Analysis Calculator

Descriptive Statistics Calculator

Sample Size Calculator

One Proportion Z-Test

Learn More

Understanding Survey Response Rates

Definition

AAPOR Response Rates

RR1 (Minimum Response Rate)

RR2

RR3

Other Important Rates

Cooperation Rate (COOP)

Refusal Rate (REF)