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Utilities

Percentage Calculator (% of, Increase, Decrease, Difference)

Four percentage tools in one: find a percentage of a number, work out what percentage X is of Y, calculate percentage increase or decrease, and apply a percentage change to any value.

e.g. What is 15% of 200?

Result

15% of 200

30

As a decimal

0.15

Concept

A percentage is a ratio expressed out of 100 — the Latin per centum means "per hundred." So 15% means 15 out of every 100, or the fraction 15/100 = 0.15.

Percentage change is a relative measure, not an absolute one. A rise of ₹500 is a 50% increase when the starting price is ₹1,000, but only 0.05% when the starting price is ₹1,000,000. Always compare the difference to the original value.

To apply a percentage change, use the multiplier form: multiply the original by (1 + P/100). A 20% increase means multiplying by 1.20; a 15% decrease means multiplying by 0.85. This is more reliable than adding the percentage amount separately, especially when chaining multiple changes.

Formula

% of a number=P100 × Base
What % is X of Y=XY × 100
% Change=New − OldOld × 100
Apply % Change=Original × (1 + P100)

Variables

P
The percentage value (e.g. 15 for 15%).
Base / Y
The reference or whole quantity the percentage is applied to.
X
The part being compared to Y when finding what percentage X is of Y.
Old / New
The before and after values for calculating percentage change.