Percentage Formula in Excel: How to Calculate Percentage in Excel using Basic Formula, Excel Functions and Many More

Calculating percentages is a fundamental yet stressful mathematical equation, especially when dealing with tons of data. Excel is a powerful tool that enables you to quickly and accurately execute percentage calculations. If you struggle to calculate percentages in Excel, you have landed in the right place. 

In this article, we will discuss how to calculate percentages in Excel using basic formulas and functions. 

How to Calculate Percentages in Excel?

It is relatively simple to calculate percentages in Excel using basic mathematical methods. Using simple multiplication and division operations, you can easily calculate rates in Excel to analyze and interpret your data. In this section, we will go over the basic formula to calculate percentages in Excel step-by-step.

How to Calculate Percentages in Excel using Basic formula? 

The basic formula to calculate percentages in Excel is “percentage = (part/whole)*100” Here, the “part” is the value you want to find the percentage of, and the “whole” is the total value. Suppose you want to calculate the percentage of the number 25 out of 100. The formula would be: percentage = (25/100)*100 = 25%. Here’s the step-by-step guide:

1. Enter the part value in one cell and the whole value in another cell
2. In a third cell, type the formula “= (part/whole)*100”
3. Press Enter to calculate the percentage

How to Calculate Percentages using Excel functions? 

Let’s understand this method with an example. Suppose you answered 42 out of 50 questions correctly. Then what is the percentage of correct answers? Here’s how to find out: 

1. Tap on any blank cell, Type =42/50, and press RETURN 
2. The result will be 0.84
3. Now select the result cell 
4. On the Home tab, tap on “%”
5. The result will be 84.00%, which is the percentage of correct answers  

How to multiply the cells in a column by the same percentage? 

Suppose you have a column of numbers (A1 to A5) that you want to multiply by 10%. Here are the steps to do so:

1. In a cell, enter the percentage you want to multiply by, enter “10%” in cell B1
2. Now press Ctrl+C to copy the cell 
3. Select the range of cells to multiply by the percentage; pick cells A1–A5
4. Right-click on the cells you want to paste into and select “Paste Special” from the context menu
5. Select “Values” and “Multiply” choices in the “Paste Special” dialogue box, and click “OK”
6. Now the cells in the selected range will be multiplied by the percentage you entered in cell A1 

How to change an amount by a percentage in Excel? 

It’s quite simple to change an amount by a percentage in Excel. Multiply the amount by the percentage using a simple formula. Suppose you have an amount of $100 (cell A1) and want to increase it by 20%. Here’s the step-by-step guide: 

1. Enter the amount you want to change in a cell; enter “100” in cell A1
2. Now enter the percentage by which you want to change the amount; enter “20%” in cell A2
3. In another cell, enter the “=A1*(1+A2)” formula, and press enter to get results 

Automatic Percentage Calculation in Excel

If you want to avoid all formulas and methods, Excel provides an AutoSum option that automatically calculates the percentage. Suppose you have a table of sales figures for the month of January, and you want to calculate the percentage of sales for each item. Here’s the step-by-step guide:

1. Enter your data into the sheet
2. Select the cell where you want to display the percentage
3. Now head over to the “Home” tab and select “AutoSum” from the editing group 
4. Excel will automatically select the range of cells above the current cell
5. Press “Enter” if the range is right. If not, expand the range to include the information you want to have in the calculation
6. To calculate the percentage of each item in the range, enter a formula in a nearby cell; For example, if your total is in cell A10, and your data is in the range A1:A9, enter the formula “=A1/A10” in cell B1 and drag it down to apply the formula to the other cells in the range 

How to Find the Percentage of Change between two numbers?

Calculating the percentage of change between two numbers can be helpful when analyzing data to see how much something has increased or decreased over time. Let’s understand this method with an example. Suppose you want to find the percentage change between the following two numbers: The initial value (old value) is 500, and the final value (new value) is 750

1. Enter the old value (the initial value) in cell A1
2. Enter the new value (the final value) in cell B1
3. In cell C1, enter the formula =B1-A1 to find the difference between the two values. The result should be 250.
4. In cell D1, enter the formula =(B1-A1)/A1*100 to find the percentage of change. The result should be 50%, indicating a 50% increase from the initial value of 500 to the final value of 750.

Also Read: 100+ Best Excel shortcuts that everyone should know

 FAQs

1) What is the formula to calculate the percentage? 

=(part/total)*100 is the formula to calculate the percentage in Excel. Here the “part” is the value you want to find the percentage of, and the “whole” is the total value.

2) How do I calculate 20% of a number in Excel?

1. Select the cell where you want to display the result
2. Type the equal sign (=) to start the formula
3. Enter the number that you want to calculate 20% of
4. Multiply the number by 20% by entering “*0.2” after the number
5. Press Enter to calculate the result

3) What is the shortcut for percentages in Excel? 

1. Select the cell or range of cells that you want to format as percentages 
2. Press the “Ctrl” and “Shift” keys together, and then press the “%” key