％ Percentage Calculator

How to Use the Percentage Calculator

1. Choose which kind of percentage question you are answering from the dropdown.
2. Fill in the two numbers — the labels change to match the calculation you picked.
3. The answer updates as you type, along with the formula used to get there.
4. Switch modes at any time; your numbers stay put so you can compare.

What is the difference between percentage change and percentage points?

They are frequently confused and mean different things. If an interest rate rises from 4% to 6%, that is an increase of 2 percentage points but a 50% increase in relative terms. News reports often use the larger-sounding figure. This calculator gives you the relative percentage change; to get percentage points, simply subtract one figure from the other.

Why isn't a 20% rise followed by a 20% fall back where it started?

Because each percentage is applied to a different base. Take 100, add 20% and you have 120. Take 20% off 120 and you lose 24, leaving 96 rather than 100. The increase was calculated on 100 but the decrease on the larger 120. This is why a stock that drops 50% needs to gain 100% to recover.

How do I work out the original price before a discount?

Divide rather than multiply. If an item cost 80 after a 20% discount, the 80 represents 80% of the original, so the original was 80 divided by 0.8, which is 100. A common mistake is adding 20% to 80, which gives 96 and is wrong. Use the "X is what percent of Y" mode to check your working.

How is a discount different from a markup?

A discount is subtracted from a price, while a markup is added to a cost. Crucially, a 50% markup is not a 50% margin: an item costing 100 marked up 50% sells for 150, but the profit of 50 is only 33% of that selling price. Retailers quote margin on the selling price and markup on the cost, so always check which one a figure refers to.