The Basic Percent Change Formula in Excel

To calculate percent change in Excel, use this formula: =(New Value – Old Value) / Old Value. Then format the result as a percentage. If your old value is in cell A1 and your new value is in cell B1, you would type =((B1-A1)/A1)*100 into an empty cell to get the percent change as a number, or =((B1-A1)/A1) and then format that cell as a percentage.

The formula works because you are finding how much the value changed, then dividing that change by what you started with. A change from 50 to 75 is a change of 25, and 25 divided by 50 is 0.5, or 50 percent. Excel handles the math; you just need to point it at the right cells.

Percent change can be positive (a gain) or negative (a loss). A change from 100 to 80 gives you -0.2, or -20 percent. The negative sign tells you the value went down.

Key Takeaways

  • The percent change formula is (New Value – Old Value) / Old Value, entered as =((B1-A1)/A1) if your old value is in A1 and new value is in B1.
  • You can multiply by 100 inside the formula to get a whole number, or format the cell as a percentage after entering the formula.
  • Negative results mean the value decreased; positive results mean it increased.
  • If your old value is zero, the formula will return an error because you cannot divide by zero.
  • Copy the formula down a column to calculate percent change for multiple rows of data at once.

Setting Up Your Data and Cells

Arrange your data so the old value and new value are in separate columns. Put headers in the first row—call one column "Starting Value" and another "Ending Value"—so you can see what each number represents. Put your old values in column A starting at A2, and your new values in column B starting at B2.

Create a third column for the percent change results. Click on cell C1 and type a header like "Percent Change". Then click on cell C2, where you will enter the formula. This layout makes it straightforward to copy the formula down if you have many rows of data.

Entering and Formatting the Formula

Click on cell C2 and type =((B2-A2)/A2). Press Enter. Excel will calculate the result as a decimal—for example, 0.25 for a 25 percent increase. To display this as a percentage instead, select cell C2 again, then right-click and choose "Format Cells". In the dialog box, click the "Number" tab, select "Percentage" from the category list, and click OK.

Excel will now show the result as 25% instead of 0.25. If you want to control how many decimal places appear, you can set that in the same Format Cells dialog—most percent changes look clearest with zero or one decimal place.

Alternatively, you can multiply by 100 inside the formula itself: =((B2-A2)/A2)*100. Then format the cell as a number instead of a percentage. Both methods give the same result; choose whichever feels more natural to you.

Copying the Formula to Multiple Rows

If you have percent change to calculate for ten rows, twenty rows, or more, you do not need to type the formula each time. Click on cell C2 (the cell with your formula), then move your cursor to the small square in the bottom right corner of the cell. When the cursor changes to a small plus sign, click and drag down to the last row of data. Excel will copy the formula and adjust the cell references automatically—C3 will use A3 and B3, C4 will use A4 and B4, and so on.

You can also select C2, copy it (Ctrl+C on Windows or Cmd+C on Mac), then select the range C3 to C10 (or however many rows you have) and paste (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V). Both methods save time and reduce the chance of typing errors.

Handling Zero and Negative Starting Values

If your old value is zero, the formula will show #DIV/0! because you cannot divide by zero. This is a real problem in the data, not a mistake in the formula. A percent change from zero does not have a meaningful mathematical answer. If you encounter this, you may need to exclude that row from your analysis or note it separately.

If your old value is negative—for example, a loss of $50 that becomes a loss of $30—the formula still works mathematically, but the result can be confusing to interpret. A change from -50 to -30 is technically a 40 percent increase (the loss got smaller), but it may not be the comparison you actually want to make. Think about whether the formula is answering the question you meant to ask.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most common error is reversing the order: using =(A2-B2)/B2 instead of =(B2-A2)/A2. This flips the sign of your result, making gains look like losses and vice versa. Always subtract the old value from the new value, then divide by the old value.

Another mistake is forgetting to format the result as a percentage. The formula =((B2-A2)/A2) gives you 0.25, not 25%. You have to format the cell as a percentage to see 25%. If you see a decimal instead of a percentage, that is the reason.

Do not hardcode numbers into the formula. Instead of typing =((100-50)/50), use cell references like =((B2-A2)/A2). This way, if the numbers change, the formula updates automatically.

Using Percent Change in Real Situations

Percent change is useful for tracking price increases, sales growth, weight loss, or any value that changes over time. If a product cost $20 last month and $25 this month, the percent change is 25 percent. If your electricity bill was $150 in January and $120 in February, the percent change is -20 percent (a decrease).

In business, percent change helps you see whether something is growing or shrinking faster than you expect. A 5 percent increase in revenue looks different depending on whether you started with $1 million or $100 million, but the percent change tells you the rate of growth in both cases. That is why percent change is often more useful than the raw dollar or unit change.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I want to show percent change as a whole number instead of a decimal?

Use the formula =((B2-A2)/A2)*100 and format the cell as a number. Or use =((B2-A2)/A2) and format the cell as a percentage—both give you a whole number or one decimal place depending on your format settings. The percentage format is usually cleaner because it adds the % symbol automatically.

Can I calculate percent change if the old value is negative?

Yes, the formula works mathematically, but the result can be hard to interpret. A change from -100 to -50 shows as a 50 percent increase (because -50 is 50 percent closer to zero than -100), but that may not match what you are trying to measure. Check whether the formula is answering your actual question.

How do I show only positive numbers and hide the negative sign?

You can use the ABS function to show the absolute value: =ABS((B2-A2)/A2). This removes the negative sign, so a decrease shows as a positive number. However, you lose the information about whether the change was an increase or decrease, so use this only if you are tracking magnitude and have another way to show direction.

What is the difference between percent change and percentage point change?

Percent change is what the formula calculates: the relative change compared to the starting value. Percentage point change is the straightforward difference between two percentages. If something goes from 20% to 25%, the percentage point change is 5 points, but the percent change is 25 percent (because 5 divided by 20 is 0.25). Use percent change for most comparisons unless you are specifically comparing two percentages.