Calculate percentages, find what percentage one number is of another, and calculate percentage increase or decrease with our easy-to-use calculator
Enter values and click Calculate to see the result
Our percentage calculator makes it easy to perform various percentage calculations instantly. Simply select the type of calculation you need from the dropdown menu, enter your values, and click Calculate to get your answer immediately.
The calculator offers three main calculation types:
Whether you're a student solving math problems, a business professional calculating discounts, or anyone needing quick percentage calculations, this tool provides accurate results in seconds. The calculator supports decimal values and handles both positive and negative numbers for comprehensive percentage analysis.
Understanding the mathematical formulas behind percentage calculations helps you verify results and perform mental calculations when needed. Here are the essential formulas used by our calculator:
Example: What is 25% of 80?
Result = (25 ÷ 100) × 80 = 0.25 × 80 = 20
Example: 15 is what percent of 60?
Percentage = (15 ÷ 60) × 100 = 0.25 × 100 = 25%
Example: A price increased from $50 to $65. What is the percentage increase?
Change = ((65 - 50) ÷ 50) × 100 = (15 ÷ 50) × 100 = 30% increase
These formulas are universally applicable across all percentage calculations, from simple discount calculations to complex financial analysis. The calculator automates these formulas to provide instant, accurate results every time.
Percentage calculations are essential in countless everyday situations. Here are practical examples demonstrating how to use this calculator effectively:
Scenario: A jacket originally priced at $120 is on sale for 35% off. How much will you save, and what's the final price?
Solution: Use "Find X% of Y" to calculate: 35% of $120 = $42 savings. Final price: $120 - $42 = $78
Scenario: You scored 42 out of 50 on a test. What's your percentage score?
Solution: Use "X is what % of Y": 42 is what % of 50 = 84%
Scenario: Your salary increased from $45,000 to $51,000. What's the percentage increase?
Solution: Use "Percentage Increase/Decrease": Change from $45,000 to $51,000 = 13.33% increase
Scenario: Your restaurant bill is $85. You want to leave an 18% tip. How much should you tip?
Solution: Use "Find X% of Y": 18% of $85 = $15.30 tip
These examples demonstrate the versatility of percentage calculations in finance, education, business, and daily life. Whether you're budgeting, analyzing statistics, calculating taxes, or comparing options, understanding percentages is crucial for informed decision-making.
A percentage is a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100. The term "percent" comes from the Latin "per centum," meaning "by the hundred." Percentages are used to compare proportions and make relative comparisons between different quantities.
To calculate percentage increase, subtract the original value from the new value, divide by the original value, and multiply by 100. Formula: ((New - Old) / Old) × 100. For example, if a value increases from 50 to 75, the percentage increase is ((75-50)/50) × 100 = 50%.
Percentage decrease uses the same formula as percentage increase. The result will be negative, indicating a decrease. For example, if a price drops from $100 to $80, the change is ((80-100)/100) × 100 = -20% (a 20% decrease).
Yes, you can calculate percentages of percentages. For example, if you want to find 50% of 20%, first convert 20% to 0.20, then multiply: 0.50 × 0.20 = 0.10 or 10%. This is useful in scenarios like calculating discounts on already-discounted items.
Percentage refers to a relative change, while percentage points refer to an absolute change. For example, if interest rates increase from 5% to 8%, that's a 3 percentage point increase, but a 60% relative increase ((8-5)/5 × 100 = 60%).
Percentages are essential for understanding discounts, interest rates, statistics, test scores, financial data, and much more. They provide a standardized way to compare different quantities and understand proportional relationships, making them fundamental to financial literacy and data interpretation.