Percentage Calculator
Quickly find what percent of a number is — instantly, in your browser.
Percentages come up everywhere — discounts, tips, test scores and statistics. Enter a percentage and a value to instantly see the result, with the calculation shown so you can follow the math.
Formula / method
Examples
25
16
90
Where percentages show up
A percentage expresses a part of a whole out of 100, which makes very different quantities easy to compare. A 15% tip, a 20%-off sale, a 5% interest rate and a 92% exam score all use the same idea: a proportion scaled to 100.
Because the scale is fixed, percentages let you compare things of different sizes fairly — a 30% rise on a small number and on a large number are directly comparable, even though the actual amounts differ.
The three questions this tool answers
Most percentage problems are one of three types: finding a percentage of a value (what is 15% of 200?), finding what percentage one number is of another (30 is what percent of 120?), or finding a percentage change between two values. Naming which one you are solving is half the battle — the formula then follows automatically.
This calculator handles the first type directly; the related Percentage Change Calculator covers the third.
A common mistake to avoid
Do not confuse a percentage change with a percentage-point change: going from 10% to 15% is a 5 percentage-point increase, but a 50% relative increase. And remember that a 50% cut followed by a 50% rise does not return you to where you started — it leaves you 25% down.
Where it's used
- Working out exam or test scores, like 42 correct out of 50 questions
- Calculating a sales commission or bonus as a percent of revenue
- Figuring out how much of a monthly budget goes to rent or a category
- Turning completed vs. total work into a progress percentage
- Finding what percent one number is of another for reports or goals
Real-world examples
- A student who answered 42 of 50 questions correctly finding they scored 84%
- A salesperson calculating a 6% commission on $15,000 in monthly sales, or $900
- A shopper checking that 30% of an $80 jacket is $24 off
- A fundraiser finding that $150 raised toward a $400 goal is 37.5% complete
A bit of history
The word 'percent' comes from the Latin per centum, meaning 'by the hundred', and the % symbol evolved by gradual contraction of the Italian per cento; early manuscripts around 1425 abbreviated it as 'pc' with a small loop before it settled into the modern sign.
Did you know?
There was no special symbol for percentages before roughly 1425; the two-circles-and-a-slash '%' we use today only took its modern shape in the 19th century.
FAQ
How do I calculate a percentage of a number?
Divide the percentage by 100, then multiply by the value. Example: 15% of 200 = 0.15 × 200 = 30.