25% written as a fraction is 1/4. You get there by placing 25 over 100 (since “percent” means “per hundred”) and then simplifying.
How to Convert 25% to a Fraction
The percent sign tells you the number is out of 100. So 25% literally means 25 per 100, which you can write as the fraction 25/100. From there, you simplify by finding the largest number that divides evenly into both 25 and 100. That number is 25.
Divide the top and bottom by 25:
- 25 ÷ 25 = 1
- 100 ÷ 25 = 4
The simplified fraction is 1/4.
Why This Works for Any Percentage
The same two-step method works every time. First, write the percentage as a number over 100. Second, reduce the fraction by dividing the numerator and denominator by their greatest common factor. For example, 50% becomes 50/100, which simplifies to 1/2. And 75% becomes 75/100, which simplifies to 3/4.
If the fraction can’t be reduced further (like 37/100 for 37%), you just leave it as is. The key step is always the same: drop the percent sign, put the number over 100, and simplify if possible.
Checking Your Answer
To confirm that 1/4 equals 25%, divide 1 by 4 on a calculator. You get 0.25, which is the decimal form of 25%. All three representations, 25%, 1/4, and 0.25, are different ways of expressing the same value: one quarter of a whole.