How To Calculate Percentage In Excel

Percentages are a very powerful tool for data analysis because they simplify complex data, making it easier to interpret and compare. When working with large datasets or performing financial calculations, percentages help in breaking down the data into more digestible parts, which can highlight trends, proportions, and relative magnitudes. In this tutorial, we will focus on how to calculate and use percentages in Microsoft Excel, a widely used tool for data management and analysis.

Calculating percentages is a crucial element of data analysis. Excel allows us to work with percentages efficiently within our spreadsheets. In this article, we will learn different techniques for calculating percentages in Excel.

Content

• What is the Percentage?
• Percent formula in Microsoft Excel
• Calculate Marks Percentages In Excel
• Add Percentages In Excel
• Subtract Percentages In Excel
• Percentage Change
• Use Paste Special for Changing Percentages (For One-Time Changes)

Must Read – What is MS Excel?

What is Percentage?

A percentage is a mathematical entity. It represents a proportion of a given part as a fraction of 100 equal parts. The symbol % denotes the percentage. It must be written after the value it refers to.

Percentages are a powerful tool for data analysis. They can be used to compare different data sets, track trends over time, and identify outliers. By understanding how percentages work, you can use them to make informed decisions and to better understand the world around you.

Percentage Formula in Excel

You can enter a percentage in the cells using the percentage symbol (%). Excel will correctly identify it as a numerical value. The percentage formula in Excel is –

=> (Part/Whole)*100 = Percentage

The basic percentage formula applied by Excel is

 = Numerator/Denominator

Let’s understand different techniques to calculate percentages under different scenarios.

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Calculate Marks Percentages In Excel  

To calculate the percentage in Excel, we take the below datasheet. Here, we have marks obtained by a set of students. The maximum mark is 600. We need to calculate how much an individual student obtained.

To add the marks, we will use the SUM function

Now, we will calculate the percentage obtained by the students using – 

=Marks obtained/Total marks (=H2/I2)

Once you auto-fill in, the formula applies to all the selected cells. You get the percentage secured by all the students.

Add Percentages In Excel

Sometimes, we need to increase an amount by a certain percentage. For example – there is a data set of a few vehicles to be launched in the market. In Column C, there is the cost of a vehicle before taxes. 

We have to add a certain percentage of tax to every product as regulated. The tax is 0.2 times for some vehicles, while for some, it is 0.3 times. We will fill in the column with the taxes that need to be added to the cost of the vehicle.

To convert taxes into percentages, select the entire taxes column. Click the % symbol located in the Number section of the Ribbon.

Now we know the percentage of taxes to be added to the cost. We must add that percentage to the original value to obtain the final price of some products after taxes.

To add percentages in Excel, we use the formula 

=C2 (cost of the vehicle)*(1+D2 {Percentage to be added})

=C2*(1+D2)

Press Enter.

Autofill all the remaining cells

We obtained the products’ values in the above dataset after adding the taxes. This example should help you to understand how to add percentages to your dataset and get a final value.

Subtract Percentages In Excel

If we need to subtract a percentage, the operation will be very similar to the previous one.   

Let’s take an example of a product where we have a discount of 20% & 30%. We want to subtract this percentage from the original price. We will use the below formula to calculate the discount –

=C2*(1-D2)

Press Enter

Again, fill in the rest of the cells in the column.

We now have the final price of the vehicles after the mentioned discounts.

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Percentage Change

If you want to calculate the percentage change between two numbers, follow the below steps –

1. There is data in Column A. Add new numbers in Column B.

2. Apply the formula 

=(B2-A2)/A2

3. Press Enter

4. Fill the rest of the cells using the autofill feature.

You get the percentage change in the original numbers.

Use Paste Special for Changing Percentages (For One-Time Changes)

If you want to increase or decrease the values in the same column (without creating a new column), you can use the Paste Special feature:

Example: Increase values in Column A by 10%

Step 1 - In an empty cell (e.g., Cell D2), type 1.10 (this represents a 10% increase).

Step 2 - Copy the value (press Ctrl + C).

Step 3 - Select the range of cells in Column A that you want to increase (e.g., A1:A10).

Step 4 - Right-click and select Paste Special.

Step 5 - In the Paste Special dialog box, under the Operation section, select Multiply.

Step 6 - Click OK.

This will multiply all the values in Column A by 1.10, effectively increasing them by 10%.

Step 7 - Change into percentage by clicking %.

Example: Reduce values in Column A by 10%

Step 1 - In an empty cell (e.g., Cell B1), type 0.90 (this represents a 10% reduction).

Step 2 - Copy the value (press Ctrl + C).

Step 3 - Select the range of cells in Column A that you want to reduce (e.g., A1:A10).

Step 4 - Right-click and select Paste Special.

Step 5 - In the Paste Special dialog box, under the Operation section, select Multiply.

Step 6 - Click OK.

This will multiply all the values in Column A by 0.90, effectively reducing them by 10%.

Step 7 - Change into percentage by clicking %.

Note – The results will be dynamic since we have formulas applied in all the cells. Select all the data, and click on Paste Values. This way, the formula will be removed, and you will get the clean data.

Excel provides a variety of ways to calculate percentages. You must know how to calculate percentages in Excel to get the most out of the tool. The best method will depend on your spreadsheet’s specific needs. By understanding the different ways to calculate percentages in Excel, you can easily perform complex data analysis tasks.

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