To calculate a percentage in Excel, divide the part by the whole and format the result as a percentage: =B2/C2. With 34 correct answers out of 40 questions, the formula returns 0.85, which shows as 85% once the cell has Percent Style (Home > Percent Style, the % button, or Ctrl+Shift+% on Windows and Mac).
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Student | Correct | Questions | Score |
| 2 | Ana | 34 | 40 | 85% |
| 3 | Ben | 27 | 40 | 68% |
| 4 | Chen | 39 | 40 | 98% |
| 5 | Dina | 18 | 25 | 72% |
Ana scores 85%, Dina 72%. A percentage in Excel is a number shown times 100 with a % sign: the cell D2 holds 0.85. That is why a percent-formatted cell does not need *100 in the formula; multiplying by 100 and then formatting as percent would show 8500%.
Chen shows 98%, but 39/40 is 97.5%: Percent Style shows no decimals and rounds the display. Click Home > Increase Decimal to see 97.5%. The value in the cell is unchanged either way.
Percentage of total
To see what share each row has of a total, divide each value by the total and lock the total with dollar signs, so it stays the same when the formula is filled down.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Region | Sales | Share |
| 2 | North | $42,000 | 29.0% |
| 3 | South | $31,500 | 21.7% |
| 4 | East | $27,800 | 19.2% |
| 5 | West | $18,700 | 12.9% |
| 6 | Online | $25,000 | 17.2% |
| 7 | Total | $145,000 | 100.0% |
North brings in 29.0% of the total of . You can skip the Total row and write =B2/SUM(2:6)` instead.
Percentage of a number
To take a percentage of a number, multiply them. A 15% tip on an $80 bill is =80*15%, or with cells, =B2*C2.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Table | Bill | Tip | Tip amount |
| 2 | 1 | $80.00 | 15% | $12.00 |
| 3 | 2 | $46.50 | 18% | $8.37 |
| 4 | 3 | $132.00 | 20% | $26.40 |
Table 1 tips $12.00. You can type the percentage straight into the formula, =B2*15%: Excel reads 15% as 0.15.
Add or subtract a percentage
To increase a number by a percentage, multiply by 1 plus the percentage. To decrease it, multiply by 1 minus the percentage.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Price | Change | Increased | Decreased |
| 2 | Lamp | $80.00 | 15% | $92.00 | $68.00 |
| 3 | Chair | $120.00 | 10% | $132.00 | $108.00 |
| 4 | Rug | $45.00 | 25% | $56.25 | $33.75 |
The lamp goes from 92.00 with 15% added, or to $68.00 with 15% off. Keep the brackets: =B2*1+C2 adds 0.15 to the price instead.
To go back from a price that already includes a percentage, divide: a price of $92 with 15% tax included came from =92/(1+15%), which is 80. Subtracting 15% of 92 would give 78.20, which is wrong.
Practice: share of the votes
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Candidate | Votes | Share |
| 2 | Ana | 142 | |
| 3 | Ben | 98 | |
| 4 | Chen | 117 | |
| 5 | Dina | 63 |
Your turn: In C2, calculate Ana's share of all the votes in B2:B5, written so that the same formula filled down to C5 gives every candidate's share.
The sheet fills your formula down to C5 and Check reads all four shares, so the total has to be locked with $.
Why Excel shows 2500% instead of 25%
Percent Style multiplies what the cell shows by 100. If the cell holds 25, it shows 2500%. The value has to be 0.25, which is what Excel stores when you type 25%.
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Typed | Fixed |
| 2 | 2500% | 25% |
| 3 | 0.25 | |
| 4 | 25% |
A2 holds 25 with Percent Style and shows 2500%. B2 divides it by 100 and shows 25%, which is how to repair a column of whole numbers that were meant as percentages. A3 holds 0.25 with no format, and A4 was typed as 25%: Excel stored 0.25 and gave the cell the percent format by itself. In Excel, formatting empty cells as Percentage before you type also works: 25 typed into such a cell is read as 25%.
For the change between two numbers, such as last year's and this year's sales, the formula is different: see percent change.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the formula for percentage in Excel?
Divide the part by the whole: =B2/C2. Then click Home > Percent Style (Ctrl+Shift+%) so 0.85 shows as 85%. No special function is needed; the division is the formula.
How do I calculate a percentage of a number in Excel?
Multiply the number by the percentage: =B2*15%, or =B2*C2 with 15% typed in C2. 15% of 80 gives 12.
How do I add a percentage to a number in Excel?
Multiply by one plus the percentage: =B2*(1+C2). With 80 in B2 and 15% in C2 the result is 92. To take the percentage off instead, use =B2*(1-C2).
Why does Excel show 2500% instead of 25%?
The cell held 25, and Percent Style multiplies the display by 100. Type 25% or 0.25 instead, or divide first with =A2/100. Formatting a cell as Percentage before typing makes Excel read 25 as 25%.
How do I calculate the percentage of a total in Excel?
Divide each value by the total with the total locked: =B2/$B$7, then fill down and format as percent. Without the $, the copies divide by empty cells and show #DIV/0!.
