WorkedMathGlossary

Percentage Increase Calculator

Enter an original and a new value below to instantly get the percentage increase.

Percent Increase
30%
Change of 15 from 50 to 65

The Percentage Increase Formula

Percentage increase = (new − original) ÷ original × 100

A common mistake is dividing by the new (larger) value instead of the original value. That understates the increase, since the denominator should always be the starting point you're measuring the change against, not the endpoint.

Worked example

A price rises from $50 to $65.

(65 − 50) ÷ 50 × 100 = 15 ÷ 50 × 100

Percentage increase = 30%

A second example: a salary rises from $45,000 to $49,500.

(49,500 − 45,000) ÷ 45,000 × 100 = 4,500 ÷ 45,000 × 100

Percentage increase = 10%

Keep going

  • Percentage increase and decrease are the same formula with the sign flipped; the percentage decrease calculator handles a value going down instead of up. Percentage Decrease Calculator
  • Once a value has gone up by a percentage, reverse percentage works backward from the new value to find the original; the reverse percentage calculator does exactly that. Reverse Percentage Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the percentage increase formula?

Percentage increase = (new value − original value) ÷ original value × 100.

Can percentage increase be negative?

If the formula gives a negative number, the value actually decreased — use the percentage decrease calculator to describe that change more naturally.

How is percentage increase different from a simple difference?

A plain difference is an absolute amount (like $15). Percentage increase expresses that same change relative to the starting value, so it's comparable across different scales.

Is a 'percentage point' increase the same as a 'percent' increase?

No, and news headlines mix these up constantly. If an interest rate rises from 5% to 7%, that's a 2 percentage point increase (7 − 5), but it's a 40% percentage increase relative to the starting rate: (7 − 5) ÷ 5 × 100 = 40%. The two numbers describe the same change but tell very different stories.

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