Percentage Calculator Increase

Content Reviewed By: David Chen, CFA

This calculator and associated formulas are verified by a Certified Financial Analyst for mathematical accuracy.

Use the percentage increase calculator to quickly determine the growth rate between two numbers or to find the missing starting or ending value when the percentage change is known. This tool is essential for analyzing sales growth, stock returns, or any kind of financial and statistical change.

Start Value (e.g., Initial Price)

End Value (e.g., Final Price)

Percentage Increase (%) %

Result:

Detailed Calculation Steps

Percentage Calculator Increase Formula

To find the Percentage Increase (P) given the Start Value (S) and End Value (E):

P = ((E - S) / S) × 100

To find the End Value (E) given the Start Value (S) and Percentage Increase (P):

E = S × (1 + (P / 100))

To find the Start Value (S) given the End Value (E) and Percentage Increase (P):

S = E / (1 + (P / 100)) Formula Source: Investopedia Formula Source: Wikipedia Formula Source: Maths Is Fun

Variables Explained

Start Value (S): The initial number or quantity. This is the baseline from which the increase is measured.
End Value (E): The final number or quantity after the increase has been applied.
Percentage Increase (P): The relative change expressed as a percentage of the Start Value.

What is Percentage Increase?

Percentage increase is a simple, yet powerful, metric used across finance, statistics, and daily life to measure how much a value has grown compared to its initial state. It is always expressed as a fraction of 100, which makes it easy to compare growth rates across different datasets, regardless of the initial base values.

This calculator’s ability to solve for any missing variable makes it highly flexible. Whether you’re projecting a future price (End Value), trying to figure out the original price before a known increase (Start Value), or simply measuring the growth rate (Percentage), the underlying formulas remain fundamentally related.

For example, if a stock price moves from $$100$ to $$120$, the increase amount is $$20$. The percentage increase is $$(20/100) \times 100 = 20\%$$. Understanding this allows for crucial comparisons of performance over time.

How to Calculate Percentage Increase (Example)

Let’s find the Percentage Increase when a product price changes from $$50$ to $$65$.

Identify the Variables: Start Value (S) = $$50$. End Value (E) = $$65$.
Calculate the Difference: Subtract the Start Value from the End Value: $$65 – 50 = 15$.
Divide by the Start Value: Divide the difference by the original Start Value: $$15 / 50 = 0.3$.
Convert to Percentage: Multiply the result by 100: $$0.3 \times 100 = 30\%$.
Result: The percentage increase is $$30\%$.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I calculate a $$50\%$ increase on a number?
You calculate a $$50\%$ increase by multiplying the original number by $$1.5$$ (which is $$1 + 50/100$$). For example, a $$50\%$ increase on $$80$ is $$80 \times 1.5 = 120$.
What happens if the Start Value is zero?
If the Start Value (S) is zero, the calculation for Percentage Increase is undefined because it involves division by zero. If the End Value is non-zero, the growth is considered infinite.
Is Percentage Change the same as Percentage Increase?
Yes, Percentage Increase is simply the positive result of a Percentage Change calculation. If the End Value is less than the Start Value, the result is a percentage decrease (a negative percentage change).
Can I use negative numbers in this calculator?
Yes, you can use negative numbers, but interpretation becomes complex. For example, moving from $$-10$ to $$-5$ is an absolute increase of $$5$, but the percentage change formula will still provide the mathematically correct relative change based on the initial value.