How to Find Percent Increase

Finding how much something has increased or decreased allows you to create a useful statistic for scholarly papers, articles, or business meetings. If you need to calculate the percent increase within a given period of time but need a little help with the math, this article is here to help. Keep reading for the formula to get the calculation you need.

1

Write down the old value and the new value.

  1. Image titled Find Percent Increase Step 1
    These are the 2 numbers that you'll use in your equation. Usually, these indicate the same statistic or topic and were gathered on 2 different dates. Gather your materials as well, including a calculator, a pencil, and paper to write out your formula and solve it.[1]
    • If you don't have a calculator, the one on your phone or computer will do just fine.
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2

Subtract the new value from the old value to get the increase.

  1. Image titled Find Percent Increase Step 2
    Write down the larger number (the number that has increased). Subtract the original number from the increased number. For example, write "the new amount" minus "the original amount" on your piece of paper.[2]
    • If you had 12 job prospects in 2007 and you have 64 job prospects now, then the actual increase would be 52 job prospects.
3

Divide the increase by the old value.

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    Use your calculator to get an accurate number.[3] For example, let's say the original amount was 12 and it increased to 52. Take 52 and divide it by 12.[4]
    • The answer in decimals for this particular example would be 4.33.
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4

Multiply the answer by 100 to get the percentage increase.

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    This is how you convert a decimal to a percentage. Take your answer in decimals and stay between 2 and 7 decimal points in your answer. The larger your change is, the more likely you will need extra decimal points for an accurate figure. Then, multiply the number by 100. The percentage you get is your percent increase.[5]
    • For example, multiply 4.33 by 100. This gets you a percent increase of 433%.
    • Think of it this way—the word percent actually means "of 100," since "per" means "of" and "cent" means "100."[6]
5

Alternatively, write down the old value and new value.

  1. Image titled Find Percent Increase Step 5
    These are the 2 numbers you will use to calculate the percent increase. Gather your materials as well, like a pencil, calculator, and a piece of paper. If you don't have a calculator, use one on your phone or your computer.[7]
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6

Divide the new value by the old value.

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    Plug the values into your calculator. Once you divide the new value from the old, you will get a decimal number as your answer. Write down that value.[8]
    • Let's say there used to be 55 Skittles per bag and now there are 75. Divide 75 by 55 to get 1.37.
7

Multiply by 100 to get the percentage.

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    Use your calculator to plug in the two values.[9] For example, multiply 1.37 by 100. This gets you 137%.[10]
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8

Subtract 100 to get the percentage increase.

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    Use the percentage you just calculated. Using the example equation, subtract 100 from 137%. This gets you a percent increase of 37%.[11]

Community Q&A

  • Question
    On a test , Juan got 85 % , or 119 of the items correct. How many items were on the test ?
    Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Let x = the total number of items. Then .85x = 119. Solve for x by dividing .85 into 119. That equals 140.
  • Question
    How do I find the decrease?
    Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    When dealing with a decrease, you would first subtract the lower number from the higher number, and then divide that difference by the higher number. Multiply by 100, and insert a percentage sign.
  • Question
    What do increase and decrease mean?
    Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    "Increase" means getting larger. "Decrease" means getting smaller.
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.math-only-math.com/increase-percentage.html
  2. ↑ https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/percentage-change.html
  3. ↑ Grace Imson, MA. Math Instructor, City College of San Francisco. Expert Interview. 1 November 2019.
  4. ↑ https://www.math-only-math.com/increase-percentage.html
  5. ↑ https://sciencing.com/show-increase-between-two-numbers-7716688.html
  6. ↑ David Jia. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 7 January 2021.
  7. ↑ https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/percentage-change.html
  8. ↑ https://sciencing.com/show-increase-between-two-numbers-7716688.html
  9. ↑ David Jia. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 7 January 2021.
  1. ↑ https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/percentage-change.html
  2. ↑ https://sciencing.com/show-increase-between-two-numbers-7716688.html
  3. ↑ https://youtu.be/q6YM4K2cCiE?t=29
  4. ↑ https://youtu.be/q6YM4K2cCiE?t=45

About This Article

Grace Imson, MA
Co-authored by:
Grace Imson, MA
Math Instructor, City College of San Francisco
This article was co-authored by Grace Imson, MA and by wikiHow staff writer, Madeleine Criglow. Grace Imson is a math teacher with over 40 years of teaching experience. Grace is currently a math instructor at the City College of San Francisco and was previously in the Math Department at Saint Louis University. She has taught math at the elementary, middle, high school, and college levels. She has an MA in Education, specializing in Administration and Supervision from Saint Louis University. This article has been viewed 72,131 times.
1 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 18
Updated: January 31, 2023
Views: 72,131
Categories: Featured Articles | Probability and Statistics
Article SummaryX

To find the percent increase between 2 numbers, start by subtracting the original number from the increased number. Next, use a calculator to divide that number by the original number. If you get a whole number, simply multiply it by 100 to find the percentage increase. Alternatively, if you get a decimal number, like 4.333, round it off at the second decimal place to get 4.33. Then, multiply it by 100 to get 443 percent, which is the percentage increase. To learn more, like how to organize your data into a chart, scroll down!

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