How to Figure Out How Much Percentage Increase

April 24, 2025 3 min read

Understanding percentage increase is crucial for various applications, from tracking business growth to analyzing personal investments. But how to figure out how much percentage increase can seem daunting. This article breaks down the concept, provides a simple formula, and shows you how to use our percentage calculator for quick and accurate results.

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What is Percentage Increase?

Percentage increase represents the extent to which a quantity has gained relative to its initial value. It's a practical way to express change, making it easier to understand growth or progress in various situations. For instance, if a company's revenue grows from $100,000 to $120,000, expressing this change as a percentage increase gives a clearer sense of the company's performance.

The Percentage Increase Formula

The formula to calculate percentage increase is straightforward:

Percentage Increase = [(New Value - Original Value) / Original Value] x 100

  1. Find the Difference: Subtract the original value from the new value. This determines the amount of increase.
  2. Divide by the Original Value: Divide the increase by the original value. This gives you the proportional increase.
  3. Multiply by 100: Multiply the result by 100 to express the increase as a percentage.

Example Calculation

Let's say you invested $500 in a stock, and its value increased to $625. Here's how to calculate the percentage increase:

  1. Difference: $625 - $500 = $125
  2. Divide: $125 / $500 = 0.25
  3. Multiply: 0.25 x 100 = 25%

Therefore, your investment increased by 25%.

Real-World Applications

  • Business: Tracking sales growth, profit margins, or website traffic.
  • Finance: Calculating investment returns, inflation rates, or changes in expenses.
  • Personal Development: Monitoring weight loss, skill improvement, or savings growth.

Understanding percentage increase helps in setting goals and making informed decisions based on quantifiable growth.

Calculate with Ease Using Our Tool

While the formula is simple, manually calculating percentage increase can be time-consuming. Our percentage calculator simplifies this process. Just enter the original and new values, and the calculator will instantly display the percentage increase. It's perfect for quick calculations on your phone or computer. You can easily find percentage of a number, figure out what percentage one number is of another, or calculate how much something increased or decreased in percentage terms.

Percentage Increase vs. Percentage Decrease

It's equally important to understand percentage decrease. If a value declines, you can use a similar formula to find the percentage decrease:

Percentage Decrease = [(Original Value - New Value) / Original Value] x 100

A negative result indicates a percentage decrease.

Why Use a Percentage Calculator?

  • Accuracy: Avoid manual calculation errors.
  • Efficiency: Get instant results without complex calculations.
  • Versatility: Suitable for diverse applications, from business to personal finance.

Beyond Percentage Increase: Other Useful Calculations

Our tool isn't just limited to calculating percentage increases. You can also use it to:

  • Find what percent of a number is
  • Figure out what percentage one number is of another

These calculations can be performed by navigating to the other tools on our site.