EXCEL FORMULAS

Percentage formulas for Excel and Google Sheets.

Copy-ready formulas for percentages, changes, margins, and markups—with practical examples you can adapt to your spreadsheet.

Find a percentage of a number

Multiply the value by the percentage cell, or use a fixed percentage directly in the formula.

Calculate percentage change

Subtract the original value from the new value, then divide that difference by the original value.

Calculate margin and markup

Use revenue as the reference for margin and cost as the reference for markup—the denominator makes the difference.

Percentage of a total in Excel

If B2 contains the part and C2 contains the total, divide the part by the total:

=B2/C2

Format the result cell as Percentage. For 36 out of 240, Excel displays 15%.

Percentage increase formula in Excel

If B2 is the original value and C2 is the new, higher value, use:

=(C2-B2)/B2

For a change from 120 to 150, the formula returns 0.25, displayed as 25% when the cell uses percentage formatting.

Check the result with the percentage increase calculator →

Percentage decrease formula in Excel

If B2 is the original value and C2 is the new, lower value, use:

=(B2-C2)/B2

For a drop from 150 to 120, the result is 0.20, or a 20% decrease.

Check the result with the percentage decrease calculator →

Percentage change formula in Excel

Use one formula when the new value may be higher or lower:

=(C2-B2)/B2

Positive results show growth; negative results show decline. The original value must not be zero because Excel cannot divide by zero.

Check the result with the percentage change calculator →

Common Excel percentage mistakes

  • Multiplying by 100 twice: Excel percentage formatting already turns 0.25 into 25%.
  • Using the new value as the denominator: percentage change normally compares the difference with the original value.
  • Leaving references relative: use an absolute reference such as $B$1 when every row should use the same percentage.

Excel percentage formula FAQs

What is the basic percentage formula in Excel?

Divide the part by the total with a formula such as =B2/C2, then format the result cell as a percentage.

How do I calculate percentage increase in Excel?

Subtract the old value from the new value, then divide by the old value: =(C2-B2)/B2.

How do I calculate percentage change in Excel?

Use =(new value-old value)/old value. A positive result is an increase and a negative result is a decrease.