How to Work Out a Percentage of a Number

April 24, 2025 3 min read

Understanding percentages is crucial for various everyday calculations, from figuring out discounts to understanding statistical data. If you need to work out a percentage of a number quickly and accurately, you've come to the right place! This article provides a straightforward guide to understanding and calculating percentages, along with a handy tool to simplify the process.

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What is a Percentage?

At its core, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100. The term "percent" literally means "out of one hundred." So, when you see 25%, it means 25 out of every 100, or simply one-quarter. Percentages offer a standardized way to represent proportions and ratios, making comparisons easy and intuitive.

Methods to Work Out a Percentage of a Number

While understanding the concept is important, sometimes you need a quick solution. Here's how you can calculate percentages manually, followed by how our tool can expedite the process:

Manual Calculation

  1. Convert the percentage to a decimal: Divide the percentage by 100. For example, 15% becomes 0.15.
  2. Multiply the decimal by the number: Multiply the decimal obtained in the previous step by the number you want to find the percentage of.

For example, to find 15% of 200:

  1. Convert 15% to a decimal: 15 / 100 = 0.15
  2. Multiply: 0.15 x 200 = 30

Therefore, 15% of 200 is 30.

Introducing Our Percentage Calculator

While the manual method works, it can be time-consuming, especially with complex numbers. Our percentage calculator is designed to solve three common percentage problems instantly:

  • Find what percent of a number is: Quickly determine what a specific percentage of a number equals (e.g., What is 15% of 200?).
  • Figure out what percentage one number is of another: Determine the percentage that one number represents within another (e.g., 30 is what percent of 150?).
  • Calculate percentage increase or decrease: Easily compute how much a quantity has changed in percentage terms (e.g., Going from 80 to 100 is what percentage increase?). Cross link to work out percentage increase

Simply enter your numbers into the designated boxes, click "Calculate," and receive your answer immediately. Our calculator is mobile-friendly, so you can solve percentage problems anytime, anywhere.

Real-World Applications

Here are a few examples of how calculating percentages can be used in every life:

  • Discounts: When shopping, instantly calculate the sale price after a discount percentage is applied.
  • Tipping: Easily determine the appropriate tip amount at restaurants or for services.
  • Financial Growth: Track the percentage increase or decrease in your investments.
  • Exam Scores: Quickly calculate your grades based on the number of correct answers.

Check out our blog post on calculate percentage of a number for more on calculating percentages.

Beyond Basic Percentage Calculations

Once you understand the fundamentals, you can explore more advanced calculations, such as /blog/work-out-profit-percentage">calculating profit margins or annual percentage yield.