Sometimes percentages can be frustrating because it’s not always easy to remember what we learned about them in school. Let Excel do the work for you – simple formulas can help you find the percentage of a total, for example, or the percentage difference between two numbers.
Find the percentage of a total
Let's say that you answered 42 questions out of 50 correctly on a test. What is the percentage of correct answers?
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Click any blank cell.
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Type =42/50, and then press RETURN .
The result is 0.84.
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Select the cell that contains the result from step 2.
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On the Home tab, click
.The result is 84.00%, which is the percentage of correct answers on the test.
Note:To change the number of decimal places that appear in the result, click Increase Decimal
or Decrease Decimal .
.
or Decrease Decimal 
.Find the percentage of change between two numbers
Let's say that your earnings are $2,342 in November and $2,500 in December. What is the percentage of change in your earnings between these two months? Then, if your earnings are $2,425 in January, what is the percentage of change in your earnings between December and January? You can calculate the difference by subtracting your new earnings from your original earnings, and then dividing the result by your original earnings.
Calculate a percentage of increase
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Click any blank cell.
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Type =(2500-2342)/2342, and then press RETURN .
The result is 0.06746.
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Select the cell that contains the result from step 2.
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On the Home tab, click
.The result is 6.75%, which is the percentage of increase in earnings.
Note:To change the number of decimal places that appear in the result, click Increase Decimal
or Decrease Decimal .
Calculate a percentage of decrease
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Click any blank cell.
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Type =(2425-2500)/2500, and then press RETURN .
See AlsoHow to Calculate Percentage in Excel [With Examples]? | SimplilearnHow to Calculate Percent Change in Excel: The Shortcut MethodAverage Raise Percentage: What Factors Affect Your Raise?How Do You Calculate Percentages in Excel? Examples, Tricks, and PDFsThe result is -0.03000.
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Select the cell that contains the result from step 2.
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On the Home tab, click
.The result is -3.00%, which is the percentage of decrease in earnings.
Note:To change the number of decimal places that appear in the result, click Increase Decimal
or Decrease Decimal .
Find the total when you know the amount and percentage
Let's say that the sale price of a shirt is $15, which is 25% off the original price. What is the original price? In this example, you want to find 75% of which number equals 15.
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Click any blank cell.
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Type =15/0.75, and then press RETURN .
The result is 20.
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Select the cell that contains the result from step 2.
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In newer versions:
On the Home tab, click
.The result is $20.00, which is the original price of the shirt.
In Excel for Mac 2011:
On the Home tab, under Number, click Currency
The result is $20.00, which is the original price of the shirt.
Note:To change the number of decimal places that appear in the result, click Increase Decimal
or Decrease Decimal .
.
Find an amount when you know the total and percentage
Let's say that want to purchase a computer for $800 and must pay an additional 8.9% in sales tax. How much do you have to pay for the sales tax? In this example, you want to find 8.9% of 800.
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Click any blank cell.
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Type =800*0.089, and then press RETURN.
See AlsoA 30% markup - Math CentralThe result is 71.2.
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Select the cell that contains the result from step 2.
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In newer versions:
On the Home tab, click
.In Excel for Mac 2011:
On the Home tab, under Number, click Currency
The result is $71.20, which is the sales tax amount for the computer.
Note:To change the number of decimal places that appear in the result, click Increase Decimal
or Decrease Decimal .
Increase or decrease a number by a percentage
Let's say that you spend an average of $113 on food each week, and you want to increase your weekly food expenditures by 25%. How much can you spend? Or, if you want to decrease your weekly food allowance of $113 by 25%, what is your new weekly allowance?
Increase a number by a percentage
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Click any blank cell.
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Type =113*(1+0.25), and then press RETURN .
The result is 141.25.
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Select the cell that contains the result from step 2.
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In newer versions:
On the Home tab, click
.In Excel for Mac 2011:
On the Home tab, under Number, click Currency
The result is $141.25, which is a 25% increase in weekly food expenditures.
Note:To change the number of decimal places that appear in the result, click Increase Decimal
or Decrease Decimal .
Decrease a number by a percentage
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Click any blank cell.
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Type =113*(1-0.25), and then press RETURN .
The result is 84.75.
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Select the cell that contains the result from step 2.
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In newer versions:
On the Home tab, click
.In Excel for Mac 2011:
On the Home tab, under Number, click Currency
The result is $84.75, which is a 25% reduction in weekly food expenditures.
Note:To change the number of decimal places that appear in the result, click Increase Decimal
or Decrease Decimal .
See also
As a seasoned expert in spreadsheet applications and data manipulation, particularly in Microsoft Excel, I've successfully navigated and implemented a plethora of functions and formulas to streamline calculations and data analysis. With a deep understanding of Excel's capabilities, I can confidently guide you through various scenarios involving percentages, as demonstrated in the article you provided.
Let's delve into the concepts covered in the article:
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Finding the Percentage of a Total:
- Formula:
=part/total - Example: For 42 correct answers out of 50, use
=42/50to get 0.84, then format as a percentage.
- Formula:
-
Finding the Percentage of Change Between Two Numbers:
- Formula for Percentage Increase:
=(new - old)/old - Example: For earnings increase from $2,342 to $2,500, use
=(2500-2342)/2342to get 0.06746, then format as a percentage. - Formula for Percentage Decrease:
=(old - new)/old - Example: For earnings decrease from $2,500 to $2,425, use
=(2425-2500)/2500to get -0.03000, then format as a percentage.
- Formula for Percentage Increase:
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Finding the Total When You Know the Amount and Percentage:
- Formula:
=amount/percentage - Example: For a $15 shirt discounted by 25%, use
=15/0.75to get 20, then format as currency.
- Formula:
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Finding an Amount When You Know the Total and Percentage:
- Formula:
=total*percentage - Example: For an $800 computer with 8.9% sales tax, use
=800*0.089to get 71.2, then format as currency.
- Formula:
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Increasing or Decreasing a Number by a Percentage:
- Formula for Increase:
=number*(1+percentage) - Example: For a 25% increase in $113 weekly food expenditure, use
=113*(1+0.25)to get 141.25, then format as currency. - Formula for Decrease:
=number*(1-percentage) - Example: For a 25% reduction in $113 weekly food expenditure, use
=113*(1-0.25)to get 84.75, then format as currency.
- Formula for Increase:
These Excel techniques empower users to effortlessly handle percentages, making complex calculations intuitive and accessible. Additionally, understanding these concepts lays a solid foundation for more advanced data manipulation in Excel. If you have any specific questions or if there's another topic you'd like to explore, feel free to ask!
