Percentages

Percentage Calculator

The essential percentage calculator — find X% of a number, work out what percentage one number is of another, or calculate the percentage change between two values. Full step-by-step working shown for every calculation.

20% of 150

30

How it works

  1. Convert the percentage to a decimal

    20÷100=0.220 \div 100 = 0.2

    Divide the percentage by 100 to get the decimal multiplier: 20% = 0.2.

    Result:0.2
  2. Multiply by the number

    0.2×150=300.2 \times 150 = 30

    Multiply the decimal by 150: 0.2 × 150 = 30.

    Result:30

Key percentage formulas

P% of N=P100×N% change=newoldold×100P\% \text{ of } N = \frac{P}{100} \times N \qquad \text{\% change} = \frac{\text{new} - \text{old}}{\text{old}} \times 100
PPThe percentage value
NNThe number to apply the percentage to

Worked examples

What is 15% of 80?

  1. 1
    Convert %: 15 ÷ 100 = 0.15
  2. 2
    Multiply: 0.15 × 80 = 12
Answer: 12

30 is what percentage of 120?

  1. 1
    Divide: 30 ÷ 120 = 0.25
  2. 2
    Multiply by 100: 0.25 × 100 = 25%
Answer: 25%

What is the % change from 80 to 100?

  1. 1
    Difference: 100 − 80 = 20
  2. 2
    Divide by original: 20 ÷ 80 = 0.25
  3. 3
    Multiply by 100: 0.25 × 100 = 25%
Answer: 25% increase

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate a percentage of a number?+

Divide the percentage by 100 and multiply by the number. E.g., 20% of 150 = (20/100) × 150 = 30.

How do you calculate percentage change?+

Percentage change = ((new value − original value) / original value) × 100. A positive result is an increase; negative is a decrease.

How do you find what percentage one number is of another?+

Divide the part by the whole, then multiply by 100. E.g., 30 is what % of 150? (30/150) × 100 = 20%.

What does percent mean?+

"Per cent" means "per hundred". So 45% means 45 out of every 100, or 45/100 = 0.45 as a decimal.

How do you work out a reverse percentage?+

If a value after a percentage change is known, divide by (1 ± the percentage as a decimal) to find the original. E.g., after a 20% increase the price is £120: original = 120 / 1.2 = £100.

How do you convert a percentage to a decimal?+

Divide by 100. E.g., 35% = 35/100 = 0.35.

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