What is Percentage?
Percentage (%) is a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100. The word comes from Latin "per centum" meaning "by the hundred." Percentages are used everywhere: discounts, interest rates, statistics, grades, tax rates, and more.
Understanding percentages is essential for financial literacy, comparing values, analyzing data, and making informed decisions in daily life.
Percentage Formulas
Result = (X × Y) / 100
2. What percent is X of Y:
Percentage = (X / Y) × 100
3. Percentage Increase:
% Increase = ((New - Old) / Old) × 100
4. Percentage Decrease:
% Decrease = ((Old - New) / Old) × 100
5. New Value after X% Increase:
New Value = Original × (1 + X/100)
6. New Value after X% Decrease:
New Value = Original × (1 - X/100)
How to Use This Calculator
This calculator has four modes to solve different percentage problems:
- X% of Y: Find what amount is a given percentage of a number (e.g., "What is 20% of 500?")
- X is what % of Y: Find what percentage one number is of another (e.g., "30 is what percent of 150?")
- % Change: Calculate the percentage increase or decrease between two values (e.g., "From 80 to 100")
- Increase/Decrease: Calculate the result after applying a percentage change (e.g., "200 increased by 15%")
Common Percentage Calculations
- Discounts: A 30% discount on ₹1,000 = ₹1,000 × 0.30 = ₹300 off, final price ₹700
- Tips: 15% tip on ₹800 bill = ₹800 × 0.15 = ₹120
- Tax: 18% GST on ₹5,000 = ₹5,000 × 0.18 = ₹900 tax
- Grades: 45 out of 60 = (45/60) × 100 = 75%
- Growth: Revenue from ₹10L to ₹12L = ((12-10)/10) × 100 = 20% growth
Benefits of This Calculator
- Multiple modes: Solve any type of percentage problem with one tool.
- Instant results: Calculations update in real-time as you type.
- Simple interface: Clear, natural language format for inputs.
- No app needed: Works in any browser on any device.
- Always free: No registration or payment required.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate 15% of 200?
Multiply 200 by 15 and divide by 100: (200 × 15) / 100 = 30. Or multiply by 0.15: 200 × 0.15 = 30.
What's the difference between percentage and percentile?
Percentage is a fraction of 100. Percentile indicates a position in a distribution—the 90th percentile means you scored better than 90% of others.
Can a percentage be more than 100%?
Yes. 200% means twice the original amount. A 150% increase means the value more than doubled. Percentages over 100% are common in growth rates and comparisons.
How do I find the original price before a discount?
If you know the discounted price and discount percentage: Original = Discounted Price / (1 - Discount%/100). A ₹700 price after 30% off means original was ₹700 / 0.70 = ₹1,000.
How do percentage points differ from percent?
Percentage points measure absolute difference between percentages. If rates go from 5% to 8%, that's a 3 percentage point increase, but a 60% relative increase ((8-5)/5 × 100).
Why is 50% off twice not 100% off?
Each percentage is applied to the remaining amount. 50% off ₹100 = ₹50. Another 50% off ₹50 = ₹25. Total discount is 75%, not 100%. Percentages don't add when applied sequentially.
