Percentage increase shows how much a value has grown compared with its original value. It is commonly used to measure changes in prices, salaries, website traffic, sales, revenue and other numerical data.
Percentage Increase Formula
To calculate percentage increase, use:
Percentage Increase = ((New Value − Original Value) ÷ Original Value) × 100
The important point is that the difference is compared with the original value.
Percentage Increase Example
Suppose a product originally costs $200 and its price increases to $250.
First, calculate the difference:
250 − 200 = 50
Then divide the increase by the original price:
50 ÷ 200 = 0.25
Multiply by 100:
0.25 × 100 = 25%
Therefore, the price increased by 25%.
Calculate Percentage Increase Online
You don’t necessarily need to calculate the formula manually. Manarty’s percentage calculator includes a percentage-change option where you can enter the original and new values and calculate the increase or decrease.
This can be particularly convenient when comparing multiple figures.
Salary Increase Example
Suppose your salary increases from $4,000 to $4,400.
Difference:
4,400 − 4,000 = 400
Percentage increase:
(400 ÷ 4,000) × 100 = 10%
Your salary has therefore increased by 10%.
Website Traffic Example
Imagine a website received 10,000 visits last month and 12,500 visits this month.
The increase is:
12,500 − 10,000 = 2,500
Then:
(2,500 ÷ 10,000) × 100 = 25%
Website traffic increased by 25%.
Common Percentage Increase Mistake
One common mistake is dividing the difference by the new value.
Percentage change should normally be measured relative to the original value.
For an increase from 100 to 150:
Correct:
50 ÷ 100 × 100 = 50%
Not:
50 ÷ 150 × 100.
Percentage Increase vs Percentage Points
Percentage increase should also not be confused with percentage points.
If a conversion rate increases from 5% to 7%, it has increased by 2 percentage points.
However, its relative percentage increase is:
(7 − 5) ÷ 5 × 100 = 40%
Understanding this distinction is especially useful when analyzing marketing, financial and statistical data.