compression ratio

Compression ratio measures how much a file or data has been reduced in size during compression. It is the ratio of the original data size to the compressed data size. For example, a compression ratio of 10:1 means the original data is ten times larger than the compressed version. Higher ratios indicate more effective compression, saving more storage space or bandwidth. This concept helps evaluate the efficiency of compression methods, balancing the need for size reduction with the maintenance of data quality or integrity.