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01
Percent change.
Use this when you have a starting number and an ending number. Enter both values to calculate percentage increase or percentage decrease.
Free percentage calculator · Increase or decrease
Percentage Increase Calculator
Use this percentage increase calculator to measure percent change from one number to another, raise or lower a value by a percentage, and answer "X is what percent of Y." It also helps you compare percentage increase, percentage decrease, percentage difference, and percent-of calculations in one place. Runs in your browser.
Raises, prices, stats — one quick answer
Percentage increase formula.
Percentage increase shows how much a new value grew compared with the original value. The basic increase formula is: Percentage increase = (new value − old value) ÷ old value × 100.
For example, a change from 100 to 125 is a 25% increase. The change is 25. Divide 25 by the original 100, then multiply by 100.
Direction matters. Going from 125 down to 100 is a 20% decrease, not a 25% decrease, because the starting value changed.
How to use the percentage increase calculator.
Choose the calculation that matches your question. The tool covers all three modes and shows the breakdown for each.
02
Increase or decrease by percent.
Use this when you want to adjust one value. Enter the number and the percent to see the raised value, lowered value, and exact change amount.
03
X is what percent of Y.
Use this to find the percentage one number represents of another. This mode also shows the reverse framing.
Percentage change vs percentage difference.
Percentage change is directional. It compares the change with the starting value. That is why 100 to 125 is a 25% increase, while 125 to 100 is a 20% decrease. Percentage difference is not directional. It compares the gap between two numbers with their average.
| From / to | % change | % difference |
|---|---|---|
| 100 → 125 | +25% | 22.2% |
| 125 → 100 | −20% | 22.2% |
| 40 → 60 | +50% | 40% |
Use percentage change for prices, raises, growth, scores, budgets, and before-and-after comparisons. Use percentage difference for estimates, measurements, forecasts, and actual results — when you want to know how far apart two values are, not how much one value moved from a starting point.
Worked examples.
A few everyday cases — including the salary-raise framing.
1. A 4% raise on a $65,000 salary.
A salary increases from $65,000 by 4%. Multiply 65,000 by 1.04. The new salary is $67,600, and the raise amount is $2,600. See our salary-to-hourly tool next.
2. Website visits grow from 12,000 to 15,000.
The change is 3,000. Divide 3,000 by 12,000 and multiply by 100. Traffic increased by 25%.
3. 30 is what percent of 120?
Divide 30 by 120 and multiply by 100. The answer is 25%. The reverse is different: 120 is 400% of 30.
Percentage increase — FAQ.
How do I calculate percentage increase?
Subtract the old value from the new value, divide by the old value, and multiply by 100. From 100 to 125: (125 − 100) ÷ 100 × 100 = a 25% increase. A negative result is a percentage decrease.
How do I increase a number by a percentage?
Multiply by (1 + percent ÷ 100). To increase 80 by 15%: 80 × 1.15 = 92. To decrease it by 15%: 80 × 0.85 = 68. The "increase/decrease by %" mode shows both at once.
How do I find what percent one number is of another?
Divide the first number by the second and multiply by 100. 30 is 30 ÷ 120 × 100 = 25% of 120. Use the "X is what % of Y" mode.
What's the difference between percentage change and percentage difference?
Percentage change has a direction and a reference point — it's relative to the starting value, so 100→125 is +25% but 125→100 is −20%. Percentage difference is symmetric: it divides the gap by the average of the two numbers, giving one figure regardless of order.
Can I share a calculation?
Yes. The numbers and mode are stored in the URL, so you can bookmark or send a link and the calculator reopens with the same values.
Does this calculator store my numbers?
No. Every calculation runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, saved, or sent to a server.
How to calculate percentage increase by hand.
First, subtract the old value from the new value. If a price rises from $80 to $92, the change is $12.
Second, divide the change by the original value. In this case, 12 divided by 80 equals 0.15. Third, multiply by 100 to find the percentage. The result is a 15% increase.
A negative result means the value decreased. For example, if a budget drops from $2,400 to $2,100, the change is negative $300. Divide negative 300 by 2,400 and multiply by 100 to get a 12.5% decrease.
How to increase or decrease a number by a percent.
To increase a number by a percent, multiply by 1 plus the percent divided by 100. To increase 80 by 15%, use 80 times 1.15. The result is 92.
To decrease a number by a percent, multiply by 1 minus the percent divided by 100. To decrease 80 by 15%, use 80 times 0.85. The result is 68.
This is useful for sale prices, markups, tax, tips, salary raises, and budget changes. Percentage calculators help you check the math quickly when the numbers are not easy to do in your head.
Where a percentage increase calculator helps.
Use a percentage increase calculator for raises, price changes, discounts, tax and tip math, test scores, sales growth, fitness progress, and budget tracking.
It is also useful for business reports, such as month-over-month growth, year-over-year change, customer growth, and forecast comparisons.
Common mistakes with percentage increase.
A few habits lead to the wrong percentage. Watch for these before you trust the result.
Do not divide by the new value when measuring an increase. Always divide by the original value. Do not assume an increase and decrease of the same percent cancel out — a 25% increase followed by a 25% decrease does not return to the starting value because the base changed.
Do not mix up percentage change and percentage difference. Change depends on direction. Difference does not.
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