How to calculate percentage change in Excel
Percentage change compares where you ended up with where you started. The formula is new ÷ old − 1, and it works for increases and decreases alike.
The result is a decimal, such as 0.1375. Format the cell as a percentage to show it as 13.8%.
The formula
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Last year | This year |
| 2 | Sales | 48,000 | 54,600 |
=C2/B2-1Result: 13.75%
Sales went up by 13.75%. A negative result would mean they went down.
Step by step
- Click the cell where you want the change.
- Type =C2/B2-1, using the new value first and the old value second.
- Press Enter.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+% to show it as a percentage.
Other ways to write it
=(C2-B2)/B2The same calculation, written as the difference divided by the starting value.
Each of these gives the same result on the example above, in Excel and in Cellwise.
Common mistakes
- Dividing by the new value
- Always divide by the starting value. Dividing by the new one gives a different, smaller percentage.
- Forgetting the −1
- C2/B2 on its own gives 113.75%, which is this year as a share of last year, not the change.
Reading isn’t the same as doing
Percent change, discounts and tax gives you real tasks on this, and tests your formulas on data you haven’t seen. It’s free, with no sign-up.