Percentage Calculator

Calculate percentages, increases, and decreases quickly and accurately.

How the calculator works

All three modes are rearrangements of one relationship: a percentage is a fraction of 100. To find a percentage of an amount, the calculator multiplies the amount by the percentage and divides by 100 — so 25% of 200 is 200 × 25 ÷ 100 = 50. To find what percentage one number is of another, it divides the first by the second and multiplies by 100, which is how a test score of 43 out of 50 becomes 86%. To measure percentage change, it subtracts the old value from the new one, divides by the absolute value of the old figure, and multiplies by 100. Increases come out positive and decreases negative — and because the comparison is always against the old value, a rise from 80 to 100 is +25%, while a fall from 100 to 80 is −20%.

Formula

Percentage of an amount: X% of Y = X ÷ 100 × Y
What percent X is of Y: Percentage = X ÷ Y × 100
Percentage change: Change % = (New − Old) ÷ |Old| × 100

Where:

  • X — the percentage or the first value
  • Y — the amount or the second value
  • Old / New — the two values being compared
  • |Old| — the absolute (unsigned) old value

Example

A jacket is priced at $120 with a “30% off” tag. Mode one gives 120 × 30 ÷ 100 = 36, so the discount is $36 and you pay $84. If your salary rises from 2,400 to 2,700, mode three gives (2,700 − 2,400) ÷ 2,400 × 100 = +12.5%. And if you answered 43 of 50 exam questions correctly, mode two gives 43 ÷ 50 × 100 = 86%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does a 20% increase followed by a 20% decrease not return to the start?
Each percentage applies to a different base. Starting at 100: a 20% increase gives 120, but the following 20% decrease is taken from 120, landing at 96. The second percentage acts on a larger figure, so the round trip loses 4.
What is the difference between a percentage and percentage points?
Percentage points measure the simple difference between two percentages. Moving from 8% to 11% is a rise of 3 percentage points, but a relative increase of 37.5% because 3 ÷ 8 × 100 = 37.5. News reports often mix the two, so it pays to know which one you are reading.
Can I calculate a discount and then add tax in one go?
Yes — multiply the original price by (1 − discount rate) to get the sale price, then multiply that by (1 + tax rate) for the final total. For a one-at-a-time approach, use the discount calculator and the VAT calculator on this site in sequence.
Can I type numbers with separators or Arabic digits?
Yes. The input accepts thousand separators, spaces, Arabic-Indic digits (٠١٢٣٤٥٦٧٨٩) and the Arabic decimal separator (٫), so you can paste or type values in whatever form you have them.