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Percentage Increase Calculator
Sign up to favourite this calculatorEnter where a value started and where it ended. The percentage increase, the raw difference and the multiplier appear as you type, with the working shown.
Percentage increase
Difference
+195Starting value
1,250Final value
1,445Multiplier
1.156×Direction
IncreaseSave to My calculations
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Keep this calculation as a scenario, change any input above, and the Now column shows how the result moves. Keep up to three, A to C; Open puts one back in the calculator.
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Assumptions and limits
- An estimate from the numbers you entered, for guidance only. It is not financial, tax or medical advice.
- Calculator version 1, last updated 25 October 2026.
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How to use this calculator
- Enter the starting value — the figure you are measuring the rise from.
- Enter the final value, in the same unit.
- Read the percentage increase above the supporting figures. The calculation line under the inputs shows the same sum with your numbers substituted in.
The multiplier is the quickest of the supporting figures to reuse. A 15.6% increase is a multiplier of 1.156, so any other starting value can be raised by the same proportion in one step.
What do I need to enter?
- Starting value — the figure the rise is measured from, any number from −1,000,000,000,000 to 1,000,000,000,000. It is the baseline the change is divided by.
- Final value — where the figure ended up, within the same range and in the same unit.
What do the results show?
- Percentage increase — the main figure, rounded to two decimal places. If the final value is lower, the label says it is a decrease instead.
- Difference — final minus starting value, with a + or − sign.
- Multiplier — the final value divided by the starting value, which turns any other starting value into its raised equivalent.
- Starting value, Final value andDirection — your inputs, and whether the value rose, fell or stayed the same.
- Calculation — the sum with your numbers in it. A starting value of zero shows "Not defined".
How to calculate a percentage increase
A percentage increase is the amount a value gained, expressed as a share of what it started at. So the sum is one subtraction, one division and one multiplication.
Increase = (Final − Starting) ÷ |Starting| × 100
- Starting — the value before the change, e.g. 1,250
- Final — the value after the change, e.g. 1,445
- Increase — the rise as a percentage, e.g. 15.6%
The bars around the starting value mean its size is used, ignoring any minus sign. That is what keeps a rise from −200 to −100 reading as a 50% increase rather than a 50% fall.
Working through the example: 1,445 − 1,250 = 195, then195 ÷ 1,250 = 0.156, and 0.156 × 100 = 15.6%.
If your value fell rather than rose, the Percentage Decrease Calculator frames the same sum the other way round.
Worked examples
| Change | Difference | Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 1,250 → 1,445 | +195 | 15.6% |
| 40 → 50 | +10 | 25% |
| 24,000 → 26,400 | +2,400 | 10% |
| 8.50 → 9.35 | +0.85 | 10% |
| −200 → −100 | +100 | 50% |
Rows three and four make the point of the calculation: a 2,400 rise on a 24,000 salary and an 0.85 rise on an 8.50 hourly rate are the same 10% increase, even though the amounts are nothing like each other.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate percentage increase?
Subtract the starting value from the final value, divide by the starting value, then multiply by 100. Going from 1,250 to 1,445 is a rise of 195, and 195 ÷ 1,250 × 100 gives a 15.6% increase.
What is the difference between the increase and the difference?
The difference is the raw amount the value moved — 195 in the example above. The percentage increase puts that amount in proportion to what you started with, which is what makes a £195 rise on £1,250 comparable to a £19.50 rise on £125.
What if the final value is smaller than the starting value?
Then it is a decrease, and the calculator says so above the figure. The percentage is still worked out the same way, so you can read it as a fall of that size. The percentage decrease calculator frames the same sum the other way round.
Why can I not measure an increase from zero?
Because there is nothing to measure against. Percentage increase divides by the starting value, and dividing by zero has no answer — a rise from 0 to 50 is infinite in percentage terms. Report the raw difference instead.
How do I add a percentage to a number rather than compare two numbers?
Multiply by 1 plus the percentage as a decimal: 1,250 plus 15% is 1,250 × 1.15 = 1,437.50. The percentage calculator has that as a built-in mode if you would rather not do it by hand.
Does it work with negative numbers?
Yes. The calculation divides by the size of the starting value rather than the value itself, so a move from −200 to −100 reads as a 50% increase — the value has genuinely risen by half of where it began.
Last updated 25 October 2026.