How do you calculate percentage increase or decrease in excel

If you can calculate percentages in Excel, it comes in handy. For example, you might need to calculate the tax on a sale, or the percentage of change in sales from last month to this month. Here’s how you do it!

Calculate Percent Increase

To get started, let’s calculate the increase of one value over another as a percentage.

In this example, we want to find the percentage of increase in the sales of a product this month compared to last month. In the image below, you can see last month’s value of 430 in cell B3, and this month’s sales of 545 in cell C3.

To calculate the difference as a percentage, we subtract this month’s value from last month’s, and then divide the result by last month’s value.

=(C3-B3)/B3

The brackets around the subtraction part of the formula ensure that calculation occurs first.

To format the result as a percentage, click the “Percent Style” button in the “Number” section on the Home tab.

We see the percentage of increase is 27 percent.

If the percentage is negative, it means the sales of the product have decreased.

Increase a Value by a Specific Percent

You can also increase a value by a specific percentage.

In this example, we want to increase the price of a product by five percent. To do this, we can multiply the product price by 1.05. This is shown in the formula below:

=B3*1.05

Or we could write the formula as:

=B3*105%

These formulas simply multiply the value by five percent more than the whole of itself (100 percent).

As a result, a 20 percent increase would be multiplied by 120 percent, and a 15 percent increase would be 115 percent (or 1.15).

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Calculate Excel Percentage Increase (Table of Contents)

• Calculate Percentage Increase in Excel
• How to Calculate a Percentage Increase in Excel?

To calculate the percentage increase in Excel, which must have at least two values. For example, if we have 2 numbers, then to find the percentage increase, we will first subtract the smaller number from a bigger number and then divide the obtained value with a smaller number among both the values. We may get the answer in decimal. To convert this value into a percentage, click on the % symbol located in the Home menu’s number section. The obtained percentage will be the increase in the value from smaller to bigger.

Mathematical percentage calculation: (Part/Whole) *100 = Percentage

For example, suppose if you had 30 pens and you gave 6 pens to your best friends. If anybody asks you, how much did you give by percentage-wise? The above-mentioned formula can calculate it. By performing a simple calculation =6/30*100, you get the answer as 20%.

This is how we normally calculate percentages everywhere and in everyday life. In excel, the basic formula to calculate percentage is

Excel percentage calculation: Part/Total = Percentage

The only difference between Mathematical & excel percentage calculation is, In excel *100 is missing, because in Excel, when calculating a percent, you don’t have to multiply the resulting value fraction with 100, since, excel will automatically calculate it to or convert it to percentage format, which will be applied to a cell.

Calculate a Percentage Increase in Excel

To increase the value or to calculate the amount of percentage increase in excel, below mentioned formulas are used

• = Amount * (1 + %) or
• =(new_value/old_value)-1 or
• =(new value – old value)/old value

How to Calculate a Percentage Increase in Excel?

To Calculate a percentage Increase in Excel is very simple and easy. Let’s check out various available options or formulas on how to calculate a percentage increase in Excel.

Example #1 – Calculate Percentage Increase Between any two numbers in Excel

In the below-mentioned example, I have two quarterly sales values in the cell “C9” & “D9”, i.e. (First quarter sales value in the cell C9 & Second-quarter sales value in the cell D9)

Here I need to calculate the percentage increase in Second-quarter sales compared to the First quarter sales value in excel.

The below-mentioned formula is used to calculate the percentage increase value between two numbers or values in excel.

=(new_value/old_value)-1

Select a blank cell where I need to enter the formula, i.e. I selected the cell E9 where I will enter =(D9/C9)-1, where “new_value” is 95 or I can enter cell reference, i.e. “D9” and “old_value” is 65 or I can enter cell reference, i.e. “C9”. These are the two numbers or values which I need to compare.

With the First-quarter sales value in cell “C9” & Second-quarter sales value in cell “D9”, I entered =(D9/C9)-1 in cell “E9” to find out the percentage increase in quarter 2.

It results in the value 0.46,

I need to convert it to a percentage value. Below mentioned steps are used to convert the result value from decimal format to a percentage format:

I need to select the cell E9, Right-click on the cell E9, and I need to select the Format Cells option to change the result from a decimal format to a percentage format.

Format Cells window appears; in the category section, I need to select Percentage and decimal places; I need to select 2 by clicking on a small arrow around decimal places and click OK.

Now, In the cell E9, you can check out where the decimal format gets converted to percentage format, i.e. 0.4615 to 46.15%

Note: If the quarterly sales value is decreased in quarter 2 or the second-quarter sales value is less than the first quarter sales value, it will result in a negative value or number, which indicates a decline in sales.

Example #2 – Calculate Percentage Increase Between yearly sales data in Excel

In the below-mentioned example, I have a yearly sales data table where it contains two columns, i.e. Year & its sales values for the respective year.

Here, in comparison with the previous year, I need to calculate a percentage increase in sales value in excel. The below-mentioned formula can do it.

=(new value–old value)/old value

; I

Which results in 0.097.

Simultaneously, this formula is applied to the whole range, i.e. from the cell J9 to J11, by selecting the cell J9 and drag it to the J11.

Usually, the result of percentage change appears in decimal format in excel. Later it is converted to percentage format; the same procedure needs to be followed, which I have explained in the first example (Conversion of result value from decimal format to a percentage format)

Example #3 – Calculate to increase a number by a specific percentage in Excel

To increase value or number by a specific percentage, below mentioned formula is used:

=Amount*(1+%)

In the below-mentioned example, I have a quarter 2 sales data in cell C14, where I need to increase it by 20% value.

The below-mentioned formula is used to get the desired output.

=C14*(1+20%)

It results in or increases the sales value in cell D14 by 20%, i.e. 114.

Things to Remember

• Decimal format to a percentage format can also be done with the help of shortcut key CTRL + SHIFT + % (Note: it applies the percentage format with no decimal places).
• Usually, Percentage value which occurs during end result in Excel are stored as decimal values or format; we have to convert it into percentage format.
• Decimal format to Percentage Format conversion can be done either through the Ribbon Options or through the Format Cells Dialog Box.
• #DIV/0! Error occurs if we try to divide by zero in percentage change excel formula =(b-a)/0

Recommended Articles

This has been a guide to Calculate Percentage Increase in Excel. Here we discuss how to calculate a percentage increase in excel along with excel examples and a downloadable excel template. You can also go through our other suggested articles –

1. Dynamic Tables in Excel
2. Divide in Excel
3. Subtraction in Excel
4. Percent Change in Excel