How to Calculate Percentage Increase in Excel (Examples with All Criteria)

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In Microsoft Excel, working with percentage change, percentage increase, or percentage decrease is one of the familiar tasks. We calculate the percent change in a lot of calculations. To do these calculations, you have to understand the Excel formula for percentage. In this tutorial, you will learn to calculate percentage increase in Excel along with other percentages topics. This tutorial will be on point with suitable examples and their proper illustrations. So. stay with us.


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Calculate Percentage of a Number in Excel

Before we start, we have to know first how to calculate a percentage in Excel.

Let’s assume that you are giving an Exam. There are 50 questions. You’ve answered all of them. And 35 of them are correct. So, calculate your percentage of correct answers in Excel.

📌 Steps

  • First, divide 50 by 35.

Calculate Percentage of a Number in Excel

  • Then, press Enter.

  • After that, go to the Number group.

Calculate Percentage of a Number in Excel

  • Next, click on the Percentage sign (%).

Calculate Percentage of a Number in Excel

As you can see, 70% of your answers are correct. In this way, you can calculate the percentage increase in Excel.


Calculate Percentage Increase in Excel with Examples

Now, let’s come to the main topic. If you are new to this, you may be wondering how to calculate the percentage increase in Excel. It is pretty simple to compute. Let’s discuss the percentage increase formula.

Excel formula for Percentage Increase:

Percentage Increase =  (New value – Original Value) / Original Value

Suppose, you bought something for a price of $100 in September. Now, in October, the price became $150. So,

Increase = (150-100)/100 = 0.5 = 50%

It means there is a 50% increase in the price.

In the following sections, I am going to show you some examples of the percentage increase in Excel. I recommend you learn and apply all these methods to your dataset to calculate the percent increase. It will surely come in handy in the future.


1. Calculate Percentage Increase in Marks

Have a look at the following dataset:

Here, we have some students’ marks in the dataset. You can see here their performance in a particular subject in Summer and Fall. Surely, there is a difference in their marks.So, we are going to calculate the percentage increase using the Excel formula.

📌 Steps

  • First, select Cell F5 and type the following formula:

=(E5-D5)/D5

Calculate Percentage Increase in Excel

  • After that, press Enter and drag the Fill handle icon over the range of cells F6:F11.

Calculate Percentage Increase in Excel

  • You will see the increase in decimal format. To change this to percentage, go to the Number group in the Home tab.

Calculate Percentage Increase in Excel

  • Next, click on the Percentage sign (%).

Calculate Percentage Increase in Excel

In the end, you will see all the increases in percentage format in Excel.

Read More: How to Calculate Average Percentage Increase for Marks in Excel Formula


2. Percentage Increase of Sales Formula in Excel

Have a look at the following dataset:

Here we have the yearly sales data of a company. Our goal is to calculate the percentage increase of the sales using the increase percentage formula in Excel. We are using the previous formula here. Let’s dive into it.

📌 Steps

  • First, select Cell D6 and type the following formula:

=(C6-C5)/C5

Calculate Percentage Increase in Excel

  • After that, press Enter and drag the Fill handle icon over the range of cells D7:D11.

Calculate Percentage Increase in Excel

  • Here, you will see the increase in decimal format. To change this to percentage, go to the Number group in the Home tab.

Calculate Percentage Increase in Excel

  • Finally, click on the Percentage sign (%).

As you can see, we are successful to calculate the percentage increase of the yearly sales data above. Try this in your spreadsheet.

Read More: How to Calculate Percentage Increase from Zero in Excel (4 Methods)


Increase a Value by a Particular Percentage in Excel

Now, you can find the new value after increasing a specific percent to the original value. It is quite simple to calculate.

The generic Formula:

New value = Original Value+ (Original Value * percentage)

Have a look at the dataset:

Here, you can see the price of some products. Now, you want to calculate the new price after increasing the price by a specific percent. So, calculate using the previous formula.

📌 Steps

  • At first, select Cell E5 and type the following formula:

=C5+(C5*D5)

Increase a Value by a Particular Percentage in Excel

  • Next, press Enter and drag the Fill handle icon over the range of cells E6:E11.

Increase a Value by a Particular Percentage in Excel

As you can see, we have successfully calculated all the new values after increasing them by a specific percentage in Excel.

Related Content: How do you Calculate Percentage Increase or Decrease in Excel


Compute Percentage Decrease in Excel

Now, similar to the percent increase, you can also calculate the percentage decrease in Excel. The main difference is we are subtracting the new value from the original value. If you don’t do that, it will show you a negative sign.

Excel Formula for Percentage Decrease:

Decrease  = (Original Value – New Value) / Original Value

Suppose, you bought something for a price of $100 in September. Now, in October, the price became $50. So,

Increase = (100-50)/100 = 0.5 = 50%

It means there is a 50% decrease in the price.

Have a look at the dataset:

We have the price of some products. You can see there is a decrease in the price between October and November. We are going to calculate the decrease in the percentage.

📌 Steps

  • First, select Cell E5 and type the following formula:

=(C5-D5)/C5

Compute Percentage Decrease in Excel

  • Next, press Enter and drag the Fill handle icon over the range of cells E6:E11.

  • After that, you will see the increase in decimal format. To change this to percentage, go to the Number group in the Home tab.

Compute Percentage Decrease in Excel

  • Next, click on the Percentage sign (%).

Compute Percentage Decrease in Excel

As you can see, we have successfully calculated the percentage decrease in price in Excel.

Read More: How to Calculate Percentage Change with Negative Numbers in Excel


How to Show Increase or Decrease in Excel Using VBA

Now, there are various ways to show a decrease or increase in a dataset. One of them is using the VBA code. If you are a VBA freak like me, you will definitely like this one.

Have a look at the dataset:

Show Increase or Decrease in Excel

Here, we have almost a similar dataset to the previous one. But, if you look closely at the dataset, we have an increase, decrease, and no difference in some prices. Our goal is to use the VBA codes to find whether it is a decrease, increase, or no change in the price.

📌 Steps

  • First, press Alt+F11 on your keyboard to open the VBA editor.
  • Then, select Insert > Module.

  • After that, type the following code:
Sub increase_or_decrease()

Dim result As Integer
Dim i As Integer

For i = 5 To 11
 If (Cells(i, 3).Value > Cells(i, 4).Value) Then
  result = ((Cells(i, 3).Value - Cells(i, 4).Value) / Cells(i, 3).Value) * 100
  Cells(i, 5).Value = result & "% Decrease"
 ElseIf (Cells(i, 3).Value < Cells(i, 4).Value) Then
  result = ((Cells(i, 4).Value - Cells(i, 3).Value) / Cells(i, 3).Value) * 100
  Cells(i, 5).Value = result & "% Increase"
 Else
  Cells(i, 5).Value = "No change"
 End If
Next i

End Sub
  • Then, save the file.
  • After that, press Alt+F8 on your keyboard to open the Macro dialog box.

  • Next, select increase_or_decrease.
  • Then, click on Run.

Show Increase or Decrease in Excel

Isn’t that great? VBA codes are always useful to perform a calculation over a large dataset or numerous worksheets or workbooks.. So, we are successful in showing an increase or decrease in percentages using the VBA codes in Excel.

Read More: How to Calculate Price Increase Percentage in Excel (3 Easy Ways)


Percentage as a Proportion of a Number in Excel

Now, Excel can furthermore assist you to estimate a percentage as a proportion. It is a distinction between one number as your entire figure and a shorter number. It needs an actual more straightforward mathematical computation than a percentage modification.

Have a look at the following dataset:

The scenario is: You have to pay an amount of $1000. But, you have paid $725. Now, what will be the percentage proportion of your payment? And what will be the percentage proportion of your due amount?

📌 Steps

  • First, select Cell D5 and type the following formula:

=C5/B5

Percentage as a Proportion of a Number in Excel

  • Next, press You will see the increase in decimal format. To change this to percentage, go to the Number group in the Home tab. Then, click on the Percentage sign.

  • After that, select Cell D5 and type the following formula:

=100%-D5

Percentage as a Proportion of a Number in Excel

  • Finally, press Enter.

Percentage as a Proportion of a Number in Excel

As you can see, you have paid 73% of your debt and it is due of 28% (approximate). In this way, you can find the Percentage as a proportion number.

Read More: How to Calculate Percentage Between Multiple Numbers in Excel


Imply Discount Percentage Based on Conditions in Excel

Suppose, you have a shop. Numerous people come to your shop to buy things. Now, you want to give them discounts based on their customer status. The conditions are following:

  • If someone is a VIP customer, give them a 30% discount.
  • If someone is a Regular customer, give them a 15% discount.
  • No discount for new customers.

Now, our goal is to calculate the percentage of the numbers or amounts using the previous formula.

To apply this, we are using the IF function for the conditions.

To demonstrate this, we are using this dataset:

📌 Steps

  • First, select Cell D5 and type the following formula:

=IF(C5="VIP",(1-30%)*B5,IF(C5="REGULAR",(1-15%)*B5,B5))

  • After that, press Enter and drag the Fill handle icon over the range of cells D6:D11.

Discount Percentage Based on Condition in Excel

As you can see, only VIP and REGULAR category customers get discounts. In this way, you can perform various calculations with Excel for a percentage. 


Find the Actual Price Based on the Amount and Percentage

Now, this is a typical math problem. I am showing this to you so that you can remember these operations easily and perform them in your Excel worksheets. You will find yourself in situations like this while working with percentages.

Suppose, you have bought a laptop for $500 that is 75% of its original value. Now, what was the actual price of that laptop?

The Generic Excel Formula:

Actual price = Buying Price / Percentage

To demonstrate this, we are using the following dataset:

📌 Steps

  • First, select Cell D5 and type the following formula:

=B5/C5

  • After that, press Enter.

As you can see, we used the Excel formula to calculate the actual price after implying the percentage.


Find the Amount Based on the Tax Percentage in Excel

Suppose, you want to buy a flat which is worth $150K. To buy this, you have to pay 7.8% tax. What will be the addition that you have to pay because of the 7.8% tax? We will calculate the total amount based on its percentage.

The Generic Formula:

Additional Amount =  Buying Price * Tax Percentage

📌 Steps

  • First, select Cell D5 and type the following formula:

=B5*C5

Find the Amount Based on the Tax Percentage in Excel

  • After that, press Enter.

Find the Amount Based on the Tax Percentage in Excel

As you can see, you have to pay an additional $11700 because of the 7.8% tax. So, are successful to calculate the increase based on tax percentage.


Common Errors While Dealing with Percentage in Excel

Now, while working with the percentage format in Excel, you may face these types of errors :

  • #DIV/0!: If you try to divide a percentage by zero, it will happen. To crack this issue, modify the divider into a number that is not zero.
  • #VALUE!: This appears when you select a blank cell while calculating. When a function is expecting a number but you give it text, it will occur.
  • #NUM!: It will occur if your formula contains an invalid percentage.
  • #NAME?: If you type incorrect values in the formula, like a misspelling of a function. To correct it, write proper formula names.
  • #REF!: You may find this error if you are referencing an invalid cell. Also, it will occur if you have deleted a cell that is needed for the formula. To rectify this, select the correct cell references.
  • ####: This is not a problem. You may find this if your data is not fitting with the column. The answer is to extend the individual column.

💬 Things to Remember

✎ To get a percentage difference, you must provide two values.

✎ Your formula will show a negative percentage for decrease if your original value is bigger than the new value. To solve this, try to subtract the new value from the original value.

✎ Excel will show decimal places for percentages. For this reason, change the format from decimal to percentage by the Excel Ribbon. Or you can use the shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+%.


Conclusion

To conclude, I hope this tutorial has provided you with a piece of useful knowledge to calculate the percentage increase in Excel. We recommend you learn and apply all these instructions to your dataset. Download the practice workbook and try these yourself. Also, feel free to give feedback in the comment section. Your valuable feedback keeps us motivated to create tutorials like this.

Don’t forget to check our website ExcelDemy.com for various Excel-related problems and solutions.

Keep learning new methods and keep growing!


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A.N.M. Mohaimen Shanto
A.N.M. Mohaimen Shanto

Hello! I am Shanto. An Excel & VBA Content Developer. My goal is to provide our readers with great tutorials on various Excel-related problems. I hope our easy but effective tutorials will enrich your knowledge. I have completed my BSc in Computer Science & Engineering from Daffodil International University. Working with data was always my passion. Love to work with data, analyze those, and find patterns. Also, love to research. Always look for challenges to keep me growing.

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