How to Put Negative Percentage Inside Brackets in Excel

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In this tutorial, I am going to show you 4 effective ways to put negative percentage values inside brackets in excel. You can use these methods even in large datasets to represent negative percentages distinctly. Throughout this tutorial, you will also learn some important excel tools and techniques which will be very useful in any excel related task.


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4 Effective Ways to Put Negative Percentage Values Inside Brackets in Excel

We have taken a concise dataset to explain the steps clearly. The dataset has approximately 6 rows and 4 columns. Initially, we formatted all the cells containing dollar values in Accounting format and all the percentage values in % format. For all the datasets, we have 4 unique columns which are Items, January Sales, February Sales, and % Difference. Although we may vary the number of columns later on if that is needed.

negative percentage in brackets excel


1. Using 0 Symbols

In this first method, we will see how to quickly put brackets around negative percentage values in excel using a formula that only includes zeros.

Steps:

  • First, select the cells from E6 to E8.
  • Then, go to the Home tab and click on the arrow beside the Number section as in the image below.

using zero symbols to put negative percentage values inside brackets in excel

  • Now, in the Format Cells window, go to the Custom category and insert the following formula in the Type box, click OK:
0.00%;(0.00%)

  • As a result, this should insert brackets around the negative numbers.

Read More: How to Calculate Minus Percentage in Excel (2 Methods)


2. Combining 0 And # Symbols

We can also put brackets around negative percentage values in excel using 0 and # formulas. Follow the steps below to do this.

Steps:

  • To begin with, select the cells with negative percentages and right-click.
  • Then, from the pop-up select Format Cells.

combining 0 and # symbols to put negative percentage values inside brackets in excel

  • Now, go to the Custom category in the new Format Cells window and type the below formula in the Type box:
###0.00%;(###0.00%)
  • After that click on OK as we did previously.

  • Consequently, you should get the brackets around the numbers that are negative.

Read More: Percentage Formula in Excel (6 Examples)


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3. Highlighting with Red Color

In addition to putting brackets around negative percentage values in excel, we can also mark them with red colors. Let us see how we can do this.

Steps:

  • To begin this method, again select the cells with negative numbers as we saw earlier and right-click.
  • Now, select Format Cells from the pop-up.

using red color to put negative percentage values inside brackets in excel

  • Next, click on the Custom category and type in the below formula inside the Type box:
0.00%;[Red](0.00%)
  • Then, click on OK.

  • Immediately, this will wrap the negative percentage values with brackets.

Read More: Calculate Percentage Difference Between Two Numbers in Excel


4. Applying VBA Code

If you are familiar with excel VBA, then you should definitely try this method which can put brackets around negative percentage values with just a few clicks. Follow the steps below to apply this.

Steps:

  • First, go to the Developer tab and select Visual Basic.

applying vba code to put negative percentage values inside brackets in excel

  • Now, select Insert in the VBA window and click on Module.

  • Next, type in the formula below in the new window:
Public Sub Negative_Brackets()
Sheets("VBA").Range("E6:E8").NumberFormat = "###0.00%;(###0.00%)"
End Sub

  • Then, open the macro from the Developer tab by clicking on Macros.

  • Now, in the Macro window, select the Negative_Brackets macro and click Run.

  • As a result, the VBA code will create brackets around the negative percentage values.

Read More: How to Apply Percentage Formula for Multiple Cells in Excel (5 Methods)


Things to Remember

  • Use the shortcut Alt+F11 to open the VBA window as an alternative.
  • Make sure to rename the sheet in the VBA method as VBA.
  • You can use the shortcut Ctrl+1 to open the Format Cells window to save time.
  • Also, you can press Alt+F8 to open the Macro window to run it.

Conclusion

I hope that you were able to apply the methods that I showed in this tutorial on how to put negative percentage values inside brackets in excel. As you can see, there are quite a few ways to achieve this. So wisely choose the method that suits your situation best. If you get stuck in any of the steps, I recommend going through them a few times to clear up any confusion. Lastly, to learn more excel techniques, follow our ExcelDemy website. If you have any queries, please let me know in the comments.


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Nazmul Hossain Shovon
Nazmul Hossain Shovon

Hello, I am Nazmul Hossain. I am currently working full-time in Exceldemy as an Excel & VBA Content Developer. I have completed my bachelors in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. I am interested in working with MS Excel. I also like coding web applications a lot.

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