How do I work out a percentage of a number?
Use the first calculator – enter the percentage you want and the number it applies to, and the result updates instantly. For example, to find 20% of 50, enter 20 and 50 to get 10.
How do I find what percentage one number is of another?
Use the second calculator – enter the smaller number followed by the total, and it works out what percentage the first represents of the second. For example, 10 as a percentage of 100 gives 10%.
How do I calculate percentage difference?
Use the third calculator – enter your two numbers and it works out the percentage change between them. This is the same formula used for things like pay rises, price changes and growth rates: (new value – old value) ÷ old value × 100.
How do I increase or decrease a number by a percentage?
Use the fourth and fifth calculators. To add a percentage, multiply the number by 1 plus the percentage as a decimal. To take one off, multiply by 1 minus the percentage as a decimal. Worked examples:
- Add 20% VAT to £50: 50 × 1.20 = £60
- Take 15% off a £80 price: 80 × 0.85 = £68
- A 3% pay rise on £28,000: 28,000 × 1.03 = £28,840
- Find the price before 20% VAT was added to £60: 60 ÷ 1.20 = £50
How do I calculate a percentage increase or decrease between two numbers?
Use the third calculator. A positive result is an increase and a negative result is a decrease. For example, a price that goes from 50 to 60 is a 20% increase. A price that goes from 60 to 50 is a 16.67% decrease. The two figures differ because each one is measured against a different starting value.
What's the difference between percentage change and percentage points?
Percentage change measures the relative difference between two values (for example, a rise from 50 to 60 is a 20% increase). Percentage points measure the absolute difference between two percentages (for example, a rise from 50% to 60% is a 10 percentage point increase). Mixing the two up is a common source of confusion in statistics and reporting.
What can I use these calculators for?
- Working out discounts, tips or sales tax
- Comparing prices, grades or scores as percentages
- Calculating year-on-year growth or decline
- Checking pay rises, interest rates or exam results
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. Every calculation runs locally in your browser, so the numbers you enter never leave your device.
What if I need to average several percentages together?
Use the average calculator instead – paste in your list of percentages and it'll work out the mean, median and range across the whole set.