Calculating percentage is useful in many areas of life, for example, calculating the discount price or the percentage of total. In this tutorial, it provides some examples and formulas to tell you how to calculate percentages in Excel.

Get the percentage of total
Example 1: Get the percentage of a given total
Example 2: Get the percentage of an unknown total
Get the percentage of change between two numbers
Increase or decrease a number by a percentage
Example 1: Increase a number by a percentage
Example 2: Decrease a number by a percentage
Get the total by given amount and percentage
Get the amount by given total and percentage

Video: Calculate percentage

Get the percentage of total

Example 1: Get the percentage of a given total

For example, you have some values in column B (B2:B4), and the total number of these values is in cell B5 as below screenshot shown:

Now you want to get the percentage of each value of the total, please do as below:

Step 1: Use formula to get the percentage of each value of the total

1. Select a blank cell, here is C2, type below formula, then press Enter key to get the first percentage:

=B2/$B$5

2. Then double click at the auto fill handle (the small green square in the right corner of the formula result cell) to fill the formula to below cells.

Step 2: Format result as percentage

Select the result cells, then click Home tab, and go to Number group, select Percentage Style. (Or you can use shortcuts Shift + Ctrl + % to format cells as percentage.)

Now the results are shown in percentage formatting.

Note: You can change the decimal number by clicking Increase Decimal  or Decrease Decimal in Number group under Home tab.

Example 2: Get the percentage of an unknown total

For example, there is a table that contains the scores of students. Now you want to get the percentage of score 1 of each total:

Step 1: Use formula to get the percentage of each value of the total

1. Select a blank cell, here is D8, type below formula, then press Enter key to get the first percentage:

=B8/SUM(B8:C8)

2. Then double click at the auto fill handle (the small green square in the right corner of the formula result cell) to fill the formula to below cells.

Step 2: Format result as percentage

Select the result cells, then click Home tab, and go to Number group, select Percentage Style. (Or you can use shortcuts Shift + Ctrl + % to format cells as percentage.)

Now the results are shown in percentage formatting.

Note: You can change the decimal number by clicking Increase Decimal  or Decrease Decimal in Number group under Home tab.

Get the percentage of change between two numbers

Let’s say the income of company A in year 2022 is $3,000,000, and the income of company A in year 2021 is $2,680,000, what is the percentage of change between these two years? You can calculate the difference by subtracting the new income (2022) to the original income (2021), then dividing the result by the original income (2021).

Step 1: Use formula to get the percentage of each value of the total

Select a blank cell, here is C9, type below formula, then press Enter key to get the percentage of change:

=(B9-A9)/A9

If you want to apply this formula to below cells, double click at the auto fill handle (the small green square in the right corner of the formula result cell) to fill.

Step 2: Format result as percentage

Select the result cell, then click Home tab, and go to Number group, select Percentage Style. (Or you can use shortcuts Shift + Ctrl + % to format cells as percentage.)

Now the result is shown in percentage formatting.

Increase or decrease a number by a percentage

Example 1: Increase a number by a percentage

Let’s say that your annual salary is $320000 last year, your company decides to increase your annual salary by 20% this year, how much you will earn this year?

Select a blank cell, here is C17, type below formula, then press Enter key:

=A17*(1+B17)

Example 2: Decrease a number by a percentage

Suppose the manager wants to decrease the advertising cost of $10,000 by 25% next month, what is the new monthly advertising cost?

Select a blank cell, here is C21, type below formula, then press Enter key:

=A21*(1-B21)

Get the total by given amount and percentage

Suppose the sale price of a laptop is $120, which is 20% off the original price. The question is what is the original price of this laptop?

Select a blank cell, here is G9, type below formula, then press Enter key to get the total number:

=E9/(1-F9)

Get the amount by given total and percentage

If the original price of a coat is $110, but you need to pay additional 12% in sales tax, how much you need to pay for the sales tax?

Select a blank cell, here is C13, type below formula, then press Enter key:

=A13*B13