25% A, 45% B, 20% C, and 10% D (equivalent to writing the ratio as 25:45:20:10).

If the two or more ratio quantities encompass all of the quantities in a particular situation, it is said that "the whole" contains the sum of the parts: for example, a fruit basket containing two apples and three oranges and no other fruit is made up of two parts apples and three parts oranges. In this case, , or 40% of the whole is apples and , or 60% of the whole is oranges. This comparison of a specific quantity to "the whole" is called a proportion.