Percentage Increase Calculator

Find how much a value grew in percent, or raise any number by a percentage. The percentage increase calculator shows each step with your numbers.

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Calculation

Percentage increase
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How to use the Percentage Increase Calculator

  1. Choose a tab: Increase from A to B to measure growth, or Increase a value by P% to raise a number.
  2. Enter the original value and the new value, or the value and the percentage.
  3. Press Calculate. You get the percentage increase and the difference, or the new value and the amount added, with the working shown.

How it works

Increase from A to B:

increase % = (B − A) ÷ |A| × 100

Increase a value by P%:

new value = V × (1 + P ÷ 100)
  • A: the original value
  • B: the new value
  • V: the value to increase
  • P: the percentage to add

Dividing by the absolute value of A keeps the sign right when the starting value is negative.

Examples

  • From 50 to 65 is a 30% increase (+15).
  • 200 increased by 12.5% is 225 (+25).

Where percentage increases are used

A percentage increase compares the size of a change with the starting value, which makes changes of very different sizes comparable. A price going from 50 to 65 and a salary going from 3,000 to 3,900 are both 30% increases, even though one rose by 15 and the other by 900.

Common uses

  • Price rises and inflation
  • Salary raises
  • Growth in sales, visitors, or followers
  • Adding a markup to a cost price

Increases compound

Two 10% increases in a row add up to 21%, not 20%, because the second one is worked out on the higher value: 100 becomes 110, then 121.

Limitations

  • A percentage change from 0 is undefined, so an original value of 0 gives an error.
  • If the new value is lower than the original, the result is negative. The percentage decrease calculator shows the same change as a positive decrease.
  • A change in a rate, such as 10% to 12%, is a relative increase here (20%), not a change in percentage points (2).

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate a percentage increase?

Subtract the old value from the new value, divide by the old value, and multiply by 100.

What if the original value is zero?

A percentage increase from zero is undefined, because you cannot divide by zero. Compare the absolute difference instead.

What is the difference between a percentage increase and percentage points?

A rate rising from 10% to 12% is an increase of 2 percentage points, but a 20% increase relative to the starting rate.

Often used together with the Percentage Increase Calculator.