The Basic Percentage Increase Formula

To calculate percentage increase in Excel, subtract the original value from the new value, divide the result by the original value, and multiply by 100. The formula is: ((New Value – Original Value) / Original Value) × 100.

In Excel, you write this as =((B2-A2)/A2)*100, where A2 holds your original value and B2 holds your new value. The result appears as a number—for example, 25 means a 25 percent increase. If you want Excel to display it with a percent sign automatically, format the cell as a percentage after removing the *100 from your formula.

The most common mistake is dividing by the new value instead of the original value. Remember: you always divide by what you started with, not what you ended up with.

Key Takeaways

  • The percentage increase formula in Excel is =((New Value – Original Value) / Original Value) * 100, entered into a single cell.
  • Place your original value in one column and your new value in another, then reference those cells in your formula.
  • Format cells as percentages to display the result with a % sign, but remove the *100 from the formula when you do.
  • Copy the formula down to calculate percentage increases for multiple rows at once by selecting the cell and dragging the fill handle.
  • Negative results mean a decrease rather than an increase—a -20 result means the value dropped by 20 percent.

Setting Up Your Data in Columns

Start by organizing your data so the original value is in one column and the new value is in another. For example, put all original values in column A and all new values in column B. Label the columns clearly—"Original Price" in A1 and "New Price" in B1 makes it obvious what each column contains.

Enter your first data pair in row 2. If your original price was $50 and the new price is $65, type 50 in A2 and 65 in B2. Keep each pair on its own row. This layout makes it straightforward to copy your formula down to all rows at once later.

Do not mix original and new values in the same cell or alternate them randomly across columns. A clean, consistent layout prevents formula errors and makes your spreadsheet easier to read.

Entering the Formula in a Single Cell

Click on the cell where you want the percentage increase to appear—usually column C, row 2. Type the formula exactly: =((B2-A2)/A2)*100. Press Enter. Excel calculates the result and displays it as a decimal number.

If your original value is 50 and your new value is 65, the formula returns 30, meaning a 30 percent increase. If the new value is smaller than the original (say, 40 instead of 50), the result is negative (-20), indicating a 20 percent decrease.

Check your result by hand to catch errors early. Subtract 50 from 65 to get 15, divide 15 by 50 to get 0.3, multiply by 100 to get 30. If your cell shows 30, the formula is correct.

Copying the Formula to Multiple Rows

Once your formula works in one cell, you can copy it down to calculate percentage increases for all your data pairs at once. Click the cell containing your formula (C2 in this example). You will see a small square in the bottom-right corner of the cell—this is the fill handle.

Click and drag the fill handle down to the last row of your data. If you have 10 data pairs, drag down to C11. Excel automatically adjusts the cell references in each row—C3 will use B3 and A3, C4 will use B4 and A4, and so on. Release the mouse button, and all cells fill with their calculated results.

Alternatively, click the cell with your formula, copy it (Ctrl+C on Windows or Cmd+C on Mac), select the range where you want the formula to appear, and paste (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V). Both methods produce the same result.

Formatting Cells to Display as Percentages

If you want your results to display with a percent sign instead of as plain numbers, you need to format the cells and adjust your formula. First, edit your formula to remove the *100 at the end. Click the cell and change =((B2-A2)/A2)*100 to =((B2-A2)/A2). Press Enter.

Now select the cell (or cells if you have multiple results). Right-click and choose "Format Cells." In the Format Cells dialog, click the "Number" tab, select "Percentage" from the category list, and click OK. Excel multiplies the decimal by 100 and adds the % sign automatically. A result of 0.30 now displays as 30%.

If you forget to remove the *100 before formatting as percentage, your results will show as 3000% instead of 30%. straightforward edit the formula to remove *100, and the display corrects itself.

Handling Negative Results and Zero Values

A negative percentage result means the value decreased, not increased. If your original value is 100 and your new value is 80, the formula returns -20, meaning a 20 percent decrease. This is correct—the formula works for both increases and decreases.

If your original value is zero, Excel displays an error (#DIV/0!) because you cannot divide by zero. This happens when you try to calculate the percentage change from zero to any other number. In real-world situations, percentage increase from zero is undefined mathematically. If you need to handle this case, you can use an IF statement: =IF(A2=0,"N/A",((B2-A2)/A2)*100). This displays "N/A" instead of an error when the original value is zero.

Negative original values work fine in the formula, though the interpretation can be tricky. If you go from -50 to -30, the formula shows a 40 percent increase (the value moved closer to zero). Make sure the context of your data makes sense before trusting the result.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most frequent error is reversing the order of subtraction—using (A2-B2) instead of (B2-A2). This flips the sign of your result. An increase becomes a decrease and vice versa. Double-check that you subtract the original from the new, not the other way around.

Another common mistake is forgetting to divide by the original value. A formula like =(B2-A2)*100 gives you the raw difference multiplied by 100, not the percentage change. For example, if you go from 50 to 65, this wrong formula returns 1500 instead of 30.

Mixing up cell references when copying the formula down also causes problems. If you use absolute references (like $A$2) when you should use relative references (like A2), the formula will not adjust correctly for each row. Use relative references so Excel updates them automatically as you copy down.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between percentage increase and percentage change?

Percentage increase specifically refers to a value going up, while percentage change is the broader term that includes both increases and decreases. The formula is the same for both—the sign of the result tells you which direction the change went. A positive result is an increase; a negative result is a decrease.

Can I calculate percentage increase if my values are in different sheets?

Yes. Reference cells from another sheet by typing the sheet name followed by an exclamation mark and the cell reference. For example, if your original value is in Sheet1 cell A2, use =((B2-Sheet1!A2)/Sheet1!A2)*100. Make sure the sheet name is spelled exactly as it appears in the sheet tabs at the bottom of your workbook.

How do I calculate the average percentage increase across multiple rows?

Calculate the percentage increase for each row first, then use the AVERAGE function on those results. If your percentage increases are in cells C2 through C11, type =AVERAGE(C2:C11) in a new cell. This gives you the average of all the individual percentage increases, not the overall percentage change from the first original value to the last new value.

What if I only have the original value and the percentage increase, and I need to find the new value?

Use the formula =A2+(A2*B2/100), where A2 is the original value and B2 is the percentage increase. For example, if the original is 50 and the percentage increase is 30, this returns 65. You can also write it as =A2*(1+B2/100), which does the same calculation in a different order.