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The Daily Insight

How do you calculate firm concentration ratio?

Author

Mia Ramsey

Published Feb 20, 2026

Add together the total sales for each of the four largest firms in your selected industry. Then divide that sum by the total sales of the industry. Convert that result to a percentage, and that percentage value is the four-firm concentration ratio.

How do you calculate the 4 firm concentration ratio?

The four-firm concentration ratio is calculated by adding the market shares of the four largest firms: in this case, 16 + 10 + 8 + 6 = 40. This concentration ratio would not be considered especially high, because the largest four firms have less than half the market.

What is firm concentration ratio?

The concentration ratio is calculated as the sum of the market share percentage held by the largest specified number of firms in an industry. If the concentration ratio of one company is equal to 100%, this indicates that the industry is a monopoly.

What is N-firm concentration ratio?

An n-firm concentration ratio is a common measure of market structure and shows the combined market share of the n largest firms in the market. For example, where n = 5, CR5 defines the combined market share of the five largest firms in an industry.

What is a concentration ratio example?

Concentration ratio (also called n-firm concentration ratio) measures the market share of top n firms in an industry. For example, in a monopoly where there is only one producer, a firm can charge whatever price it deems fit without worrying about any competition. …

What is considered a high concentration ratio?

Concentration ratios show the extent of largest firms’ market shares in a given industry. Specifically, a concentration ratio close to 0% is indicative of a low concentration industry and a concentration ratio near 100% suggests an industry has high concentration.

How do you calculate the 8 firm concentration ratio?

The eight-firm concentration ratio is the sum of total sales or the top eight firms (OmniCola, Juice-Up, Super Soda, King Caffeine, Mega Cola, Hometown Brew, Frosty Grape, Cola-Riffic) divided by the industry total.

What is the three firm concentration ratio?

The percentage of market share taken up by the largest firms. It could be a 3 firm concentration ratio (market share of 3 biggest) or a 5 firm concentration ratio.

What is the five firm concentration ratio?

The concentration ratio is calculated as the sum of the market share percentage held by the largest specified number of firms in an industry. A rule of thumb is that an oligopoly exists when the top five firms in the market account for more than 60% of total market sales.

How is the four firm concentration ratio calculated?

The four-firm concentration ratio, which consists of the market share of the four largest firms in an industry, expressed as a percentage, is a commonly used concentration ratio. Similar to the four-firm concentration ratio, the eight-firm concentration ratio is calculated for the market share of the eight largest firms in an industry.

What does the concentration ratio mean in economics?

The concentration ratio, in economics, is a ratio that indicates the size of firms in relation to their industry as a whole. Low concentration ratio in an industry would indicate greater competition among the firms in that industry, compared to one with a ratio nearing 100%, which would be evident in an industry…

How does a concentration ratio work in an oligopoly?

In an oligopoly, it’s entirely possible that other firms also do business, but their market shares are usually a small slice of the total sales for that market. These smaller firms may also compete only in a limited way with the dominant firms. For example, they may offer only a part of the goods or services offered by the dominant companies.

What’s the concentration ratio in the biotech industry?

For the most recent fiscal year, ABC Inc., XYZ Corp., GHI Inc. and JKL Corp. have market shares of 10%, 15%, 26% and 33%, respectively. Consequently, the biotech industry’s four-firm concentration ratio is 84%. Therefore, the ratio indicates that the biotech industry is an oligopoly.