A sharp rise in the use and price of major operations like the bypass is a primary reason that a smaller percentage of people are accounting for an increasing share of health care costs.

The fact is, only a small percentage of doctors account for most of the money paid out in malpractice cases.

"But the percentage accounted for by any one of them is of more concern than how many there are in total."

Only the high percentage of male hogs in the industry could account for it.

The percentage of the G.N.P. accounted for by Government outlays for investment - on education, the infrastructure, research and development - has dropped very sharply.

A relatively small percentage of patients account for a disproportionate share of the health-care dollar.

At the same time, the percentage of employment accounted for by the top 100 and top 200 corporations continues to decline.

Quite often a very small percentage of the firm's best customers will account for a large portion of firm profit.

Ted Saskin, the senior director of the union, said: "The numbers and percentages being quoted clearly do not fully account for the full business of hockey as we understand it."

A small percentage of teachers with serious illnesses accounted for the majority of the costs, and the only option he'd found was to cut their benefits.