Percentage Calculator
Work out a percentage of a number, what percent one number is of another, percentage change, and adding or subtracting a percentage.
Work out a percentage of a number, what percent one number is of another, and percentage change.
Result
15% of 240
36
15% of 240 = 36About the percentage calculator
Percentages trip people up in one specific way: a 20 percent rise followed by a 20 percent fall does not return you to where you started, because each percentage is taken from a different base. Getting the direction and the base right is most of the work.
Each mode here states plainly what it is calculating, and percentage change shows the ratio alongside the percentage so the size of the move is obvious.
How to use it
- 1Choose what you want to work out.
- 2Enter the two numbers.
- 3Read the result and the supporting figures.
Questions
Why is a 20 percent rise then a 20 percent fall not break even?
The fall is taken from the larger number. 100 rises to 120, then 20 percent of 120 is 24, leaving 96. You need a 16.7 percent rise to recover a 20 percent fall.
What is the difference between percent and percentage points?
Going from 10 percent to 15 percent is a rise of 5 percentage points but a 50 percent increase. Mixing the two is a very common reporting error.
Why does percentage change from zero show nothing?
Percentage change divides by the starting value, and dividing by zero has no answer. Report the absolute change instead.
Can it handle negative numbers?
Yes. Percentage change uses the absolute starting value as the base, so the sign of the result reflects the direction of the move.