🧮 Percentage Calculator

Calculate percentages instantly with our free online calculator. Perfect for discounts, increases, decreases, tips, and more.

Find X% of a Number

Result:

50.00

25% of 200 = 50.00

Formula: (25 ÷ 100) × 200 = 50.00

💡 Quick Tip: To find 10% of any number, simply move the decimal point one place left. For 25%, divide by 4. For 50%, divide by 2!

💡 Have suggestions? Help us improve this calculator!

Send Feedback

What is a Percentage?

A percentage is a number or ratio expressed as a fraction of 100. The word "percent" comes from the Latin phrase "per centum", which literally means "by the hundred" or "out of 100". Percentages are denoted using the percent sign "%". For example, 45% (read as "forty-five percent") is equal to 45/100, or 0.45 in decimal form.

Percentages are one of the most common ways to express proportions, rates, and ratios in everyday life. They're used in finance, statistics, shopping, cooking, science, and countless other applications. Understanding how to calculate and work with percentages is an essential mathematical skill.

How to Calculate Percentages

There are several common percentage calculations that you'll encounter regularly. Our calculator handles all of these automatically, but here's how each one works:

1. Find X% of a Number

This is the most basic percentage calculation. To find what a certain percentage of a number is, you multiply the number by the percentage and divide by 100.

Formula:

(Percentage ÷ 100) × Number = Result

Example: What is 25% of 200?

(25 ÷ 100) × 200 = 0.25 × 200 = 50

Answer: 25% of 200 is 50

Real-world use cases: Calculating sales tax, finding tip amounts at restaurants, determining discounts during shopping, or calculating commission rates.

2. Percentage Increase

When a value increases by a certain percentage, you're adding that percentage of the original value to itself. This is commonly used for price increases, salary raises, or population growth.

Formula:

Original Number × (1 + Percentage/100) = New Value

Example: A $100 item increases in price by 15%. What's the new price?

100 × (1 + 15/100) = 100 × 1.15 = 115

Answer: The new price is $115 (an increase of $15)

3. Percentage Decrease

Similar to percentage increase, but you subtract the percentage instead. This is perfect for calculating discounts, depreciation, or any reduction.

Formula:

Original Number × (1 - Percentage/100) = New Value

Example: A $200 jacket is on sale for 30% off. What's the sale price?

200 × (1 - 30/100) = 200 × 0.70 = 140

Answer: The sale price is $140 (saving $60)

4. What Percentage is X of Y?

This calculation helps you determine what percentage one number represents of another. It's useful for test scores, completion rates, or comparing values.

Formula:

(Part ÷ Whole) × 100 = Percentage

Example: You scored 42 out of 50 on a test. What's your percentage?

(42 ÷ 50) × 100 = 0.84 × 100 = 84

Answer: You scored 84%

Common Uses of Percentages in Daily Life

🛍️ Shopping & Retail

  • Calculating sale discounts (30% off)
  • Finding final prices after tax
  • Comparing savings between stores
  • Understanding clearance deals

💰 Finance & Money

  • Interest rates on loans and savings
  • Investment returns and gains
  • Tax calculations (VAT, sales tax)
  • Profit margins in business

📊 Business & Work

  • Sales commission calculations
  • Growth rates and KPIs
  • Market share analysis
  • Performance metrics

🎓 Education & Testing

  • Grade calculations and GPA
  • Test scores and results
  • Assignment completion rates
  • Statistical analysis

🍽️ Restaurants & Tipping

  • Calculating tip amounts (15%, 18%, 20%)
  • Splitting bills with gratuity
  • Service charge calculations
  • Total meal cost with tax and tip

📈 Statistics & Data

  • Data analysis and reporting
  • Survey results presentation
  • Probability calculations
  • Demographic breakdowns

Percentage Tips & Mental Math Shortcuts

Learning these quick mental math tricks can help you calculate percentages faster without a calculator:

  • 10%: Move the decimal point one place to the left (10% of 250 = 25.0)
  • 5%: Find 10% and divide by 2 (5% of 200 = 10)
  • 1%: Move the decimal point two places to the left (1% of 300 = 3.00)
  • 25%: Divide the number by 4 (25% of 80 = 20)
  • 50%: Divide the number by 2 (50% of 60 = 30)
  • 75%: Find 50% and 25%, then add them (75% of 40 = 20 + 10 = 30)
  • 100%: The number stays the same (100% of X = X)
  • 200%: Double the number (200% of 15 = 30)
  • 15%: Find 10% and 5%, then add them (useful for tips!)
  • 20%: Find 10% and double it (another great tip calculation)

Percentage Difference vs Percentage Change

These two concepts are often confused, but they're actually different:

Percentage Change compares a new value to an original value and shows the increase or decrease. Formula: ((New Value - Original Value) ÷ Original Value) × 100

Percentage Difference compares two values without designating one as the "original". Formula: (|Value1 - Value2| ÷ ((Value1 + Value2) ÷ 2)) × 100

Example: If a stock goes from $50 to $75, the percentage change is +50% (because it increased by $25, which is 50% of the original $50).

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate percentage of a total?

Divide the part by the whole and multiply by 100. For example, if you scored 18 out of 20 on a quiz: (18 ÷ 20) × 100 = 90%. This means you got 90% of the questions correct.

How do you add a percentage to a number?

Multiply the number by (1 + percentage/100). For example, to add 15% to 80: 80 × (1 + 15/100) = 80 × 1.15 = 92. This is commonly used for adding tax or markup to a base price.

How do you subtract a percentage from a number?

Multiply the number by (1 - percentage/100). For example, to subtract 20% from 150: 150 × (1 - 20/100) = 150 × 0.80 = 120. This is the method for calculating discounts.

What's the difference between percentage and percentile?

A percentage is a fraction of 100 and represents a proportion or ratio. A percentile is a statistical measure that indicates the value below which a certain percentage of observations fall. For example, scoring in the 90th percentile means you scored better than 90% of test takers, but it doesn't mean you got 90% of the questions right (that would be a percentage score).

Can percentages be more than 100%?

Yes, absolutely! Percentages over 100% indicate values greater than the original whole. For example, if a stock increases from $50 to $150, that's a 200% increase (the new value is 3 times the original). In business, you might hear about 150% of your sales target, meaning you exceeded your goal by 50%.

How do you convert a fraction to a percentage?

Divide the numerator by the denominator and multiply by 100. For example, to convert 3/4 to a percentage: (3 ÷ 4) × 100 = 0.75 × 100 = 75%. So 3/4 equals 75%.

How do you convert a decimal to a percentage?

Multiply the decimal by 100 and add the % sign. For example, 0.85 becomes 85%. Essentially, you're moving the decimal point two places to the right.

Why is percentage calculation important?

Percentages are universal in modern life. They help us compare different quantities on the same scale (out of 100), make informed financial decisions, understand statistics and data, calculate tips and discounts, analyze business metrics, and communicate proportions clearly. Whether you're shopping, investing, cooking, or analyzing data, percentages are an essential tool for understanding the world around you.

Why Use Our Percentage Calculator?

🧮 Related Calculators

Check out these other useful calculators on our site:

💰 Tip Calculator

Calculate tips and split bills easily
🍎 TDEE Calculator

Calculate daily calorie needs
🍳 Air Fryer Cost Calculator

Compare appliance energy costs