The phrase "than the total" is a comparison that indicates something is greater than or less than an entire group, sum, or quantity. It can be used to express how one thing compares to another in terms of magnitude or value. For example, if someone says "my debt is higher than the total amount I owe," it means their debt is larger than the total sum of what they owe. Similarly, if someone says "the number of attendees was less than the total capacity of the venue," it implies that there were fewer people in attendance than the maximum number of people the venue could hold.