Percentage Increase Calculator
Use this percentage increase calculator to find how much a value grew in percent — a price hike, a pay raise, website traffic, rent, or test scores. Enter the original value and the new value; the result updates as you type.
If the new value is smaller, the calculator tells you it is a percentage decrease instead, so you never get a confusing negative increase.
- Percentage increase
- 30%
- Change
- 15
- Multiplier
- × 1.3
Steps
- (65 − 50) ÷ |50| = 0.3
- 0.3 × 100 = 30%
Worked example
Example: your rent goes from $1,250 to $1,400
- Change = 1,400 − 1,250 = 150
- Divide by the original: 150 ÷ 1,250 = 0.12
- Multiply by 100: 0.12 × 100 = 12%
Your rent increased by 12%.
Formula
Percentage increase = (New − Original) ÷ |Original| × 100
The increase is always measured against the starting (original) value. That is why going from 50 to 100 is a 100% increase, while going back from 100 to 50 is only a 50% decrease.
We divide by the absolute value of the original so the sign stays correct when the starting number is negative.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate percentage increase between two numbers?
Subtract the original number from the new number, divide the result by the original number, then multiply by 100. For 40 to 50: (50 − 40) ÷ 40 × 100 = 25%.
Can a percentage increase be more than 100%?
Yes. Any value that more than doubles has increased by more than 100%. Going from 20 to 70 is a 250% increase.
What if the original value is 0?
A percentage increase from 0 is undefined, because you cannot divide by zero. Report the absolute change instead (for example, “up 15 units”).
Is percentage increase the same as percentage difference?
No. Percentage increase compares the change to the original value. Percentage difference compares the gap to the average of both values and has no direction.
Last reviewed October 17, 2026 · Calculations run in your browser; nothing you enter is sent to a server.