Understanding percentage increase is crucial in many aspects of life, from tracking investment growth to analyzing sales figures. It allows you to quantify change and understand the magnitude of that change in a meaningful way. But the math doesn't have to be complicated!
Need to Figure Percent Increase?
Use our free calculator to get instant and accurate results every time.
Calculate Percent Increase Now! →This article will break down how to figure percent increase and show you how our free online calculator can simplify the process.
What is Percentage Increase?
Percentage increase represents the extent to which a quantity has grown relative to its initial value. It's a way of expressing change as a proportion of the starting amount. Whether it's the rise in your salary, the growth of your business revenue, or the appreciation of an investment, knowing the percentage increase provides valuable context.
The Formula for Figuring Percent Increase
The formula itself is straightforward:
Percentage Increase = [(New Value - Old Value) / Old Value] * 100
Let's break it down:
- New Value: The final amount after the increase.
- Old Value: The original amount before the increase.
- Difference: The result of subtracting the Old Value from the New Value.
Multiplying by 100 converts the decimal into a percentage.
Example:
Suppose your website traffic increased from 5,000 visitors last month to 7,500 visitors this month. To figure the percent increase:
Percentage Increase = [(7,500 - 5,000) / 5,000] * 100 = [2,500 / 5,000] * 100 = 0.5 * 100 = 50%
Therefore, your website traffic increased by 50%.
Common Applications of Figuring Percent Increase
- Business: Tracking sales growth, revenue increases, and profit margin improvements.
- Finance: Calculating investment returns, stock price appreciation, and interest rate changes.
- Personal Finance: Monitoring salary increases, expense changes, and budget growth.
- Health and Fitness: Tracking weight loss/gain, improvement in fitness metrics.
Simplify Calculations with Our Percentage Calculator
While the formula is simple, manually calculating percentage increase can be time-consuming, especially with complex numbers. That's where our percentage calculator comes in handy.
Our calculator is designed to quickly and accurately solve percentage problems, including /blog/figure-out-percentage-increase, /blog/calculate-percentage-increase, and /blog/determine-percent-increase. With our tool, you can also easily
- Find what percent of a number is (e.g., what is 15% of 200?)
- Figure out what percentage one number is of another (e.g., 30 is what percent of 150?)
- Calculate how much something increased or decreased in percentage terms (e.g., going from 80 to 100).
How to Use Our Percentage Calculator
Using our calculator is simple:
- Enter the initial value (Old Value).
- Enter the final value (New Value).
- Click "Calculate."
The calculator will instantly display the percentage increase.
It works seamlessly on your phone or computer, allowing you to solve percentage problems whenever and wherever you need to. You can even calculate