PERCENTILE_CONT

Applies to: ✅ Data 360 SQL ✅ Tableau Hyper API

Computes a continuous percentile, interpolating between adjacent input values if needed.

1percentile_cont(<fraction>) WITHIN GROUP (ORDER BY <sort_expression>)

• <fraction>: A double precision value between 0 and 1 specifying the percentile to compute.
• <sort_expression>: An expression of double precision or interval type.

Returns the same type as the sort expression. Returns NULL if the fraction is NULL.

• This is an ordered-set aggregate function.
• NULL values in the sorted input are ignored.
• Interpolates between adjacent values when the exact percentile falls between two data points.
• Use PERCENTILE_DISC for discrete percentiles without interpolation.

Find the median (50th percentile).

1SELECT percentile_cont(0.5) WITHIN GROUP (ORDER BY salary) AS median_salary
2FROM employees;

Find the 25th and 75th percentiles.

1SELECT
2    percentile_cont(0.25) WITHIN GROUP (ORDER BY score) AS q1,
3    percentile_cont(0.5) WITHIN GROUP (ORDER BY score) AS median,
4    percentile_cont(0.75) WITHIN GROUP (ORDER BY score) AS q3
5FROM test_results;

Calculate percentiles for each group.

1SELECT department,
2    percentile_cont(0.5) WITHIN GROUP (ORDER BY salary) AS median_salary
3FROM employees
4GROUP BY department;

• PERCENTILE_DISC
• MODE
• Aggregate Functions