Percentage of a Number Calculator

Enter a percentage and a number to find out what that percentage of it comes to. The answer, the working and the number with the percentage added or taken off all update as you type.

Your numbers

%
Question
What is 15% of 200?
15% of 200
30
Working
15 ÷ 100 × 200
As a decimal
0.15
Plus this percentage
230
Minus this percentage
170

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter the percentage you want to take — 15 for 15%.
  2. Enter the number you want to take it from — 200.
  3. Read the answer above the working. The question line under the inputs restates the sum in words, so you can check you have typed the two figures the way round you meant.

The four figures beside the answer cover the sums people usually want next: the working itself, the percentage written as a decimal, and the number with the percentage added on and taken off. That last pair is what you need when the percentage is a tax or a discount rather than an amount in its own right.

Nothing is submitted anywhere. The calculation runs in the page as you type, and the link in your address bar carries your figures, so it can be shared or bookmarked.

How to calculate a percentage of a number

A percentage is a fraction of 100. Dividing by 100 turns it back into that fraction, and multiplying applies it to your number — so the whole calculation is one division followed by one multiplication.

Result = Percentage ÷ 100 × Number
  • Percentage — the rate you are taking, e.g. 20
  • Number — the amount you are taking it from, e.g. 150
  • Result — the answer, e.g. 30

To calculate 20% of 150, divide 20 by 100 and multiply the result by 150. That gives 20 ÷ 100 × 150 = 30, so 20% of 150 is 30.

The order matters when you do it in your head, but not to the answer: dividing 150 by 100 and multiplying by 20 gives the same 30. Use whichever is easier — dividing the round number by 100 is usually quicker.

Worked examples

Common percentages worked through
PercentageNumberResult
10%50050
25%8020
15%20030
7.5%1,00075
125%400500

The fourth row shows that a decimal percentage is no harder than a whole one: 7.5 ÷ 100 × 1,000 = 75. The last shows what happens above 100% — 125% of 400 is 500, because you are taking the whole of 400 plus another quarter of it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I work out a percentage of a number by hand?

Divide the percentage by 100, then multiply by the number. For 20% of 150: 20 ÷ 100 gives 0.2, and 0.2 × 150 gives 30. The division always comes first, because that is what turns a percentage into the decimal you can multiply with.

Can I enter a percentage above 100?

Yes. A percentage above 100 simply means more than the whole, so 125% of 400 is 500 and 150% of 80 is 120. Nothing is capped — anything from 0.5% to 1,000,000% calculates normally.

What do the plus and minus figures mean?

They are the number with the percentage added on and taken off. At 20% of 150 they show 180 and 120, which is what you want when the percentage is a tax being added or a discount being deducted rather than an amount on its own.

Does it handle decimals and negative numbers?

Both. Decimal percentages like 7.5% and decimal numbers like 12.99 work exactly as typed, and a negative percentage or number gives a negative result — −15% of 200 is −30. Results are shown to four decimal places at most, with no trailing zeros.

Is this the same as a percentage change calculator?

No. This one takes a percentage of a single number. A percentage change calculator compares two numbers and tells you how far one moved from the other, which is a different sum with a different formula.