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QuickTipsforCalculatingPercentagesInExcel|FredPryorSeminarsBlog

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QuickTipsforCalculating
PercentagesInExcel
September18,2013
BobFlisser |
Categories:Excel,AdvancedExcel

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ExcelCategories
AdvancedExcel

ArrayFormula
BasicExcel
Excel

Herearesometechniquesforcalculatingpercentages.Fortheseexamples,

Gantt

wehaveasimplesheetoftravelexpensesandyouareafterthepercentage

Macros

resultsofpricesgoingupordownforthetotalandfortheindividual
months.

PivotTables
VLOOKUP

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Percentincrease
Letssayyouanticipatemoretravelthefollowingyearandwanttoknow
whatthecostwillbeiftheexpensesincreaseby8percent.
Tip:Excelletsyoutypepercentageseitherwithapercentsign
orasadecimal.Forexample,youcanentertwentypercentas
either20%or0.2(withorwithouttheleadingzero).Excelwill
treatthemboththesame.
InB19,enter:
=B18*1.08
Orifyoulike,enteritas:
=B18*108%
Theamountwillbe77,555.

Percentdecrease
Ifyouthinktravelexpenseswilldecreaseby8%instead,enterthisinB20:
=B18*92%
Orifyoulike,enteritas:
=B18*.92

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Theresultwillbe66,065.

Maybeitslateinthedayandyoudontwanttocalculateinyourheadthat
92%isan8%decrease.Youcanentertheformulathiswayforthesame
result:
=B18B18*0.08
Tip:RemembertheOrderofOperationsareParenthesis,
Exponents,Multiplication,Division,Addition,Subtraction.
(PleaseExcuseMyDearAuntSally.)
Percentamount
Butwhatifyouwanttoseethe8%amountitself,notthenewtotal?The
formulainB21wouldbe:
=B18*0.08
OR
=B18*8%
ThisistheformulayoudusetocalculatesalestaxinNewYorkCity,ifB18
containedthetotalsale.

Whileallthismathiscorrect,youmightprefertoputthepercentageinits
owncell,ratherthanhardcodingitintotheformulas.Thatway,youcan
changethepercentagewithouthavingtorewritetheformulas.
IfweputthepercentagebyitselfinB23,theseformulaswoulddothetrick:

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Percentchange
Finally,wemightwanttocalculatethepercentagechangebetweentwo
numbers.Thatwouldgiveusaclearpictureofwhethercostswereheading
up(apositivepercentage)orheadingdown(anegativepercentage).Inthis
expensesheet,wellcalculatethepercentchangefromonemonthtothe
nextandputtheformulasdowncolumnC.
Thegeneralruletocalculateapercentagechangeis:
=(newvalueoldvalue)/oldvalue
SinceJanuaryisthefirstmonth,itdoesnthaveapercentagechange.The
firstchangewillbeinFebruary,sothisistheformulaforC6:
=(B6B5)/B5
Bydefault,Exceldisplaysthisasadecimal,soclickthePercentStylebutton
ontheHometabtoformatitasapercent.Youllnowseethis:

Tip:ThekeyboardshortcutforPercentStyleisCtrl+Shift+%
Nowautofilltheformuladowntothebottom:rollthemousepointerover
thedotinthelowerleftcornerofthecellthatshows16%anddoubleclick
themouse.Thatsafasterwayoffillingdowntothebottomofthecolumn
thandraggingdown.

Categories:Excel,AdvancedExcel Tags:autofill,fill,multiplypercent,percent,

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percentchange,percentage,salestax |
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WrittenbyBobFlisser
BobFlisserhasbeenatrainerandwritersincethemid1980s.He
hasauthoredvideocoursesforlynda.com,TotalTraining,Skillsoft
andothers,andcoauthoredadozenbooksoftipsforMicrosoft
Word,Excel,PowerPoint,andWindows.Hehasalsowritten
magazinearticlesandtrainingmanuals,andcreatedcorporate
trainingcenters.Since1995,Bobhasservedastrainingdirectorfor
SoftwareSchool,Inc.,atrainingandgraphicscompanyinNew
Jersey.HealsoservesontheboardoftheMediatechFoundation,
whichprovidesfreetechnologyaccesstothetownofFlemington.
BobisagraduateofTheGeorgeWashingtonUniversitywitha
degreeinfinancialeconomics.

12Comments
RussMyerssays:
October11,2013at11:36am
Hi,Ibelieve%changeisrelatedtothechangeoftheoriginal
number.
So,%change=(NewValueOldValue)/OldValue
Iteachatalocalcommunitycollegeandsometimeshavemy
studentssearchforexamplesthatwecandotogether.Thanks!
Reply
Clairesays:
January2,2014at5:08am
Iwonderedwhythechange%didntworkthenIrealised
becauseitswrong.THANKYOURuss.
Reply
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Ravisays:
November2,2013at6:57am
Icantthankyouenough.ImnotabigExcelfanbutthiswillpatch
upwhatIneedtopernestuntilIgetthroughsomeMATLABcodeor
R.Thanksaton.
Reply
SheilaHaysays:
September19,2014at7:49pm
Thankyou,explainedindetailthatwaswellunderstood.
Reply
ZAKARIYYAsays:
February24,2015at5:07am
Landingcost2240,saled2264margin24=%?
Andexcelformulapls.
Reply
Patsays:
February26,2015at8:23am
thepercentagecalculationishelpful,howeverwhencomparingthe
resultifindtheifstatement=IF((D11/C11*30)<30,D11/C11*30,"30")
resultof30anonnumericnumberandcannotbeusedin
calculations,i'vetriedchangingtheformattingofthecelltoa
numbersothaticanaddthe4cellswheretheifstatementwasused
toplaceanumberwithnoluck,anysuggestions?
Reply
AdilButtsays:
April13,2015at2:03pm
whatstheformulaifiwanttoget%ofanamountandadittothe
TOtal

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Reply
ejayasinghesays:
April14,2015at6:35pm
Needtogetaquickpercentagecalculation.Thereisawayofdoingit
byhighlightingcells.Ihaveseenitbutcannotremember
100
25
250
125
total500.quickcalculationofpercentageisrequited.
Reply
patricksays:
June23,2015at5:19pm
Ifmyhotelran45.1%thisweekandisdown36.3%fromlast
yearsameweekwhatstheformulatoknowwhatIranlast
year?
Reply
LindaTodarosays:
June30,2015at3:37pm
Iamwantingtocalculatecurrentyearsincreaseoverlastyear,butI
wanttoshownegativeinred.WhenusingyourformulaIcanshow
inred,butitwillshow100%as1.00.Iprefertheredandparenthesis,
butwantthe1.0toshowas100and(.50)toshowas(50%)inred.Is
thereaformulaIcandoforthis?
Reply
njabulosays:
September15,2015at11:29am
HowcanIincreasetheamountby50%(itincreaseseverymonth
fromjantojune)jan500feb?Mar?.
Reply
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ExcelTipsandTricksfromPryor.comsays:
September23,2015at8:37pm
Inordertoincreasetheamountby50%youwilltakethe
amountandmultiplyittimes1.5(=amountX1.5).Youcanthen
copyandpasteyourformuladown.
Reply

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