Use this percentage calculator to find a percentage of a number, work out what percent one number is of another, or calculate the percentage increase or decrease between two numbers.
Whether you call it percent calculator, percentage math, or just “figuring out the percent,” this page covers all three common calculations in one place.
X% of Y
% of
—X is what % of Y?
is what % of
—% Change from X to Y
From to
—Three Percentage Calculators in One
This page covers the three most common percentage questions people search for, solved instantly: finding a percentage of a number (also useful as a percent-off or discount calculator), finding what percent one number is of another, and finding the percentage increase or percentage decrease between two numbers (sometimes searched as percentage points).
How to Use
- X% of Y: enter a percentage and a number to find that share of it, useful for tips, discounts, and taxes. This also works as a percent-off calculator: enter the discount percentage and the original price.
- X is what % of Y: enter two numbers to see what percentage the first is of the second.
- % Change from X to Y: enter a starting and ending number to see the percentage increase or percentage decrease between them.
Example (X% of Y): 20% of 150 is 30.00.
Example (X is what % of Y): 30 is 20.00% of 150.
Example (percentage increase/decrease): going from 50 to 65 is a change of +30.00%, while going from 80 to 60 is a change of -25.00%. A real-world case: if your salary goes from $50,000 to $54,000, that’s a percentage increase of +8.00%, calculated the same way.
Common Percentage Calculations
These are among the most frequently searched percentage problems, so here they are worked out for quick reference.
| Calculation | Result |
|---|---|
| 10% of 50 | 5 |
| 15% tip on $40 | $6 |
| 20% off $80 | $16 off (pay $64) |
| 25% of 200 | 50 |
| 50% of 90 | 45 |
| Increase 50 by 20% | 60 |
| Percentage difference between 40 and 60 | 40% |
Did You Know?
The % symbol didn’t always exist. Before the 1400s, people wrote out the Italian phrase “per cento” (“for a hundred”) in full, or abbreviated it as “p 100” or “p cento.” Around 1425, scribes began shortening this further to “pc” with a small circle, which slowly evolved into the two-circles-and-a-slash symbol we use today (source).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate a percentage of a number?
Divide the percentage by 100, then multiply by the number. For 20% of 150, that’s (20 / 100) x 150 = 30.
How do I find what percent one number is of another?
Divide the first number by the second, then multiply by 100. 30 divided by 150, times 100, is 20%.
How do I calculate percentage increase or decrease?
Subtract the original number from the new number, divide by the original number, then multiply by 100. A negative result means a percentage decrease.
What’s the difference between percentage points and percent change?
Going from 20% to 25% is a 5 percentage point increase, but a 25% increase in relative terms (since 5 is 25% of 20). Example: going from a 20% tax rate to a 25% tax rate is a 5 percentage point rise, but a 25% relative increase. This calculator’s percent change tool gives you the relative figure.
Is “percentage difference” the same as “percent change”?
Not quite. Percent change compares a starting value to an ending value, so it matters which number came first. Percentage difference compares two values symmetrically, with no original or “before” value, and is typically calculated against their average rather than either single number.