expression

churn rate

the percentage of customers who stop using a product over a period

In Business & Marketing

In more detail

1. (noun) the percentage of customers or users who stop using a company's product or service during a specific period

2. (noun) the rate at which employees leave a company

Examples

1. The streaming service's high churn rate of 15% means many subscribers cancel their subscriptions each month.
2. The company is trying to reduce its employee churn rate by offering better salaries and benefits.

How to use churn rate

Churn rate is a key business metric used primarily in customer retention and human resources contexts. It measures the percentage of customers or employees lost over a given period and is typically expressed as a percentage. The term is most common in SaaS, subscription services, and tech industries, though it applies broadly to any business tracking customer or employee stability.

Common phrases

high churn rate
reduce churn rate
churn rate increases
track churn rate
measure churn rate
customer churn rate

Synonyms

attrition rate · customer attrition · employee turnover · defection rate · loss rate

Opposites

retention rate · customer loyalty

Word family

churn (verb) · churned (past) · churning (noun/adjective)

A common mistake

Learners often confuse churn rate with turnover rate; while related, turnover typically refers to employee departures specifically, whereas churn rate is more commonly applied to customers or broader organizational changes.

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