Quota Sampling Generator
Drawing a sample that reflects a population means allocating it across groups in proportion to their size — and that runs straight into rounding, because a group entitled to 12.4 people gets either twelve or thirteen. Rounding each share separately leaves the sample one or two short. This uses largest-remainder allocation so the quotas add to exactly the size you asked for, and draws within each group without replacement.
What this generator does
Computes each group's exact share of the sample, floors it, and hands out the remaining places to the largest fractional parts. It then draws within each group without replacement and checks the quotas, the draws and the totals.
How to use this tool
- List your groups, one per line, as a name and a size.
- Set the total sample size.
- Read each group's quota — they add up exactly.
- Compare each quota against the share shown beside it.
Understanding the controls
- Groups
- One per line as a name and a size, separated by a comma. The sizes decide the quotas, so they need to be the real population figures rather than guesses.
- Sample size
- How many to draw altogether. Whatever this is, the quotas will add up to precisely it.
- Seed
- Reproduces the same draw, which matters when a sampling plan needs to be auditable.
Common use cases
- Working out how many to survey from each region or segment
- Setting quotas for a stratified sample
- Checking that a sampling plan adds up to the intended size
- Teaching proportional allocation and its rounding problem
- Producing a sampling frame for a small study
How this generator works
Each group's exact entitlement is its share of the population times the sample size. Taking the whole part of each leaves some places unallocated, and those go to the groups with the largest fractional parts — largest-remainder allocation, the same method used for parliamentary seats. Within a group the draw is without replacement so nobody can appear twice. Before display the quotas are re-totalled against the sample size, every quota is confirmed to be within one of its exact share, and the whole sample is checked for duplicates.
Randomness and fairness
Uses your browser's cryptographic random source to draw within each group by default. A seed switches to a reproducible sequence, which is deterministic and not cryptographically secure.
For how randomness is produced across the whole site, see how Generate Random works.
Limitations and good to know
- Proportional allocation is one choice among several: equal allocation gives small groups more precision, and optimal allocation weights by variability too.
- Quotas are computed from the sizes you enter, so the sample is only as representative as those figures are.
- Members are generated as placeholders rather than drawn from a real list, so this plans the sample rather than selecting it.
- Non-response is not modelled, and it is usually the biggest threat to a quota sample actually being representative.
Privacy and your data
The allocation runs in your browser and the group names and sizes you enter are never transmitted, stored or included in analytics.
Related generators
- Random Name PickerPaste a list of names and instantly pick one at random, fairly and without repeats if you choose.
- Random Team GeneratorSplit a list of names into a chosen number of random, evenly sized teams.
- Survey Sample Size CalculatorHow many people you need to ask for a given margin of error, including the finite population correction most calculators leave out.
- Seat Apportionment GeneratorTurns vote totals into whole seats by D'Hondt, Sainte-Laguë or largest remainder, with every allocation summing exactly and compared against its quota.