What is the whole to which a percent is compared?

The whole to which a percent is compared is 100. This is evident in both the name, and the method of calculation of percentages. The name, is broken to "per" and "cent" meaning every 100. Also, when we calculate percentages, we find the ratio of the given amount to the total amount. If we don't multiply by 100, we see that this ratio is compared to the ratio of the percentage to 100.