PercentConverter

How to Calculate Percent Increase

Learn how to find the percentage increase from an original value to a higher new value, with formulas and practical examples.

Quick answer

Subtract the original value from the new value, divide the increase by the original value, then multiply by 100.

Percent increase = ((New − Original) ÷ Original) × 100

What is percent increase?

Percent increase describes how much a value has grown compared with where it started. It expresses the amount of growth as a percentage of the original value, not as a percentage of the new value.

For example, when a price rises from $80 to $100, the dollar increase is $20. Since $20 is one-quarter of the original $80, the price increased by 25%.

Percent increase formula

Start with the original value and the new value. Subtract the original value from the new value to find the amount of increase.

Percent increase formula Percent increase = ((New value − Original value) ÷ Original value) × 100

The original value is the baseline. It is always the denominator in the standard percent increase calculation.

Use the Percentage Increase Calculator Calculate the amount and percentage of increase instantly.

How to calculate percent increase step by step

  1. Identify the original value and the new, larger value.
  2. Subtract the original value from the new value.
  3. Divide the increase by the original value.
  4. Multiply the decimal result by 100.
  5. Add the percent sign.

Example: Increase from 80 to 100

  1. Original value: 80
  2. New value: 100
  3. Find the increase: 100 − 80 = 20
  4. Divide by the original: 20 ÷ 80 = 0.25
  5. Convert to a percentage: 0.25 × 100 = 25%

Answer: The value increased by 25%.

Percent increase examples

Example: A salary rises from $50,000 to $54,000

  1. Find the increase: $54,000 − $50,000 = $4,000
  2. Divide by the original salary: $4,000 ÷ $50,000 = 0.08
  3. Convert to a percentage: 0.08 × 100 = 8%

Answer: The salary increased by 8%.

Example: Website traffic rises from 1,200 to 1,500 visits

  1. Find the increase: 1,500 − 1,200 = 300
  2. Divide by the original traffic: 300 ÷ 1,200 = 0.25
  3. Convert to a percentage: 0.25 × 100 = 25%

Answer: Website traffic increased by 25%.

Example: A quantity rises from 49 to 63

  1. Find the increase: 63 − 49 = 14
  2. Divide by the original amount: 14 ÷ 49 = 0.285714...
  3. Convert to a percentage: 0.285714... × 100 = 28.57%

Answer: The quantity increased by about 28.57%.

Find a new value after a percentage increase

If you know the original value and the percent increase, first convert the percentage to a decimal. Then multiply the original value by one plus that decimal.

New value after an increase New value = Original value × (1 + Percentage ÷ 100)

Example: Increase 120 by 15%

  1. Convert 15% to a decimal: 0.15
  2. Add one: 1 + 0.15 = 1.15
  3. Multiply: 120 × 1.15 = 138

Answer: Increasing 120 by 15% gives 138.

Shortcut: To increase an amount by 15%, multiply by 1.15. To increase it by 8%, multiply by 1.08. The multiplier always equals one plus the percentage written as a decimal.

Find the original value before an increase

If you know the new value after an increase, divide by the increase multiplier to work backward to the original value.

Original value before an increase Original value = New value ÷ (1 + Percentage ÷ 100)

Example: A value is 210 after a 40% increase

  1. Convert 40% to a decimal: 0.40
  2. Find the multiplier: 1 + 0.40 = 1.40
  3. Divide: 210 ÷ 1.40 = 150

Answer: The original value was 150.

Common percent increase mistakes

Dividing by the new value

Use the original value as the denominator. For an increase from 80 to 100, divide the $20 increase by 80, not by 100.

Confusing the increase amount with the percent increase

An increase from 80 to 100 is an increase of 20 units, but the percentage increase is 25%. The first is an amount; the second is a relative comparison.

Using percent increase when the value fell

When the new value is lower than the original value, use percent decrease instead.

Trying to reverse an increase by subtracting the same percentage

A 20% increase followed by a 20% decrease does not return an amount to its starting value, because each percentage uses a different base.

Important: Percent increase cannot use zero as the original value because division by zero is undefined. Describe a change from zero in absolute terms instead.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate a 10% increase?

Multiply the original amount by 1.10. For example, a 10% increase on $200 is $200 × 1.10 = $220.

What is the percent increase from 50 to 75?

The increase is 25. Divide 25 by the original 50, then multiply by 100: 25 ÷ 50 × 100 = 50%. The increase is 50%.

What is the difference between increase and percent increase?

Increase is the numerical difference between two values. Percent increase expresses that difference relative to the original value.

Can percent increase be more than 100%?

Yes. A value that rises from 40 to 100 increases by 150%, because the increase of 60 is 150% of the original 40.

How do I calculate the original price before a percentage increase?

Divide the final price by one plus the increase percentage written as a decimal. For a 20% increase, divide the final price by 1.20.

Percentage Calculators Calculate percent increase, decrease, difference, and more. How to Calculate Percent Decrease Measure a reduction from an original value. Percentage Change vs. Percentage Points Learn the difference between these related measures. How to Calculate Percentages Learn the basic part-over-whole percentage formula. Discount Calculator Find savings and final price after a discount. All Percentage Guides Browse more explanations, formulas, and examples.