What this tool does and when to use it
Percentage increase = (new value minus old value) ÷ old value × 100. A negative answer is a percentage decrease. Always divide by the old, starting number: from 80 to 100 is a 25% increase, but from 100 back to 80 is a 20% decrease.
How to calculate percentage increase
- Subtract. Take the new value minus the old value to get the change.
- Divide by the old value. Divide the change by the starting number, not the new one.
- Multiply by 100. Times 100 gives the percent. A negative result is a decrease.
How to calculate percentage increase between two numbers
Subtract the old number from the new one, divide by the old number and multiply by 100. From 50 to 65 the change is 15, and 15 ÷ 50 × 100 = 30%. If the answer comes out negative, it is a percentage decrease: from 40 to 30 is −10 ÷ 40 × 100 = −25%.
| From | To | Percentage change |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 65 | +30% |
| 80 | 100 | +25% |
| 120 | 150 | +25% |
| 200 | 260 | +30% |
| 1,250 | 1,400 | +12% |
| 40 | 30 | -25% |
The order matters. From 80 to 100 is a 25% increase, but from 100 back down to 80 is only a 20% decrease, because the second sum divides by the bigger starting number. That is also why a 50% rise followed by a 50% fall leaves you below where you started.
Increase a number by a percentage
Multiply by 1 plus the percent as a decimal. A 4% raise on a $50,000 salary is $50,000 × 1.04 = $52,000. Here is what common raises add to $50,000 a year:
| Raise | Extra a year | New salary |
|---|---|---|
| 2% | $1,000 | $51,000 |
| 3% | $1,500 | $51,500 |
| 4% | $2,000 | $52,000 |
| 5% | $2,500 | $52,500 |
| 8% | $4,000 | $54,000 |
| 10% | $5,000 | $55,000 |
A raise is before tax. To see what it adds to your take home pay, run the new salary through the US paycheck calculator or the UK salary calculator.
Percentage increase over time (yearly growth)
When a value grows over several years, the honest yearly figure is the compound rate, not the total divided by the years. $10,000 that grows to $15,000 in 5 years rose 50% in total, but the yearly rate is (15,000 ÷ 10,000) to the power 1/5, minus 1, which is 8.45% a year, not 10%. Use the Over time mode above for any start value, end value and number of years.
Percentage increase in Excel and Google Sheets
- Between two numbers:
=(B1-A1)/A1with the old value in A1 and the new in B1, then format the cell as a percentage. - Increase by a percent:
=A1*(1+B1)with B1 typed as 4%. - Yearly growth:
=(B1/A1)^(1/C1)-1with the years in C1.
