Calculate percentages
Work out a percentage of a number, what percentage one value is of another, or the percentage change between two figures.
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What is a percentage?
A percentage expresses a number as a fraction of 100. "Per cent" means "per hundred", so 20% is 20 out of every 100, or 0.2 as a decimal. Percentages make it easy to compare proportions of different totals on a common scale.
How to calculate a percentage of a number
Divide the percentage by 100 and multiply by the number. For example, 20% of 150 is (20 ÷ 100) × 150 = 30. On the calculator above, use the "% of a number" mode and enter the percentage and the amount.
How to work out what percentage one number is of another
Divide the part by the whole and multiply by 100. For example, 30 out of 150 is (30 ÷ 150) × 100 = 20%. Use the "% one is of another" mode to do this in one step.
How to calculate percentage change
Subtract the original value from the new value, divide by the original value, and multiply by 100. A positive result is an increase; a negative result is a decrease. For example, going from 50 to 75 is a 50% increase.
Common uses for percentages in business
Percentages underpin margins, mark-ups, growth rates, discounts, interest, tax, and commission. Being able to move quickly between an amount, a proportion, and a rate of change is essential for budgeting, pricing, and reporting.
People also ask
- Divide the percentage by 100 and multiply by the total. For example, 15% of 200 is (15 ÷ 100) × 200 = 30.
- Divide the top number by the bottom number and multiply by 100. For example, 3 ÷ 4 = 0.75, which is 75%.
- A percentage change is relative to the original value, while a percentage-point change is the simple difference between two percentages. Moving from 10% to 15% is a 5 percentage-point rise, but a 50% increase.
- Subtract the new value from the original, divide by the original, and multiply by 100. Going from 80 to 60 is a 25% decrease.
