Percentage calculator

Percentage Increase Calculator

Calculate the percentage increase from an original value to a new value. Use the growth formula to measure price rises, salary increases, population growth, and any metric that goes up over time.

Last updated August 24, 2026

Calculate percentage increase

Enter the original value and new value to measure the increase.

How this calculator works

Percentage increase tells you how much a value grew compared to where it started. It is calculated as ((New Value - Original Value) / Original Value) * 100. The original value is always the reference point-the number you started with. This makes percentage increase useful for comparing growth across different sizes. For example, a $20 increase on $100 is the same 20% growth as a $200 increase on $1,000, even though the dollar amounts are very different.

Use this when one value is clearly the starting point and the other is the newer value. If neither value is naturally the baseline, use Percentage Difference instead.

Methodology

The calculator uses ((New Value - Original Value) / Original Value) * 100. The original value is the denominator because it is the baseline. If the original value is zero, the calculation is undefined because you cannot divide by zero.

Examples

  • A smartphone price rising from $800 to $960 is a 20% increase: (960 - 800) / 800 * 100 = 20%.
  • A salary increasing from $45,000 to $54,000 is a 20% increase: (54,000 - 45,000) / 45,000 * 100 = 20%.
  • Website traffic growing from 12,000 to 15,600 visits per month is a 30% increase: (15,600 - 12,000) / 12,000 * 100 = 30%.
  • A population rising from 50,000 to 57,500 is a 15% increase: (57,500 - 50,000) / 50,000 * 100 = 15%.
  • A test score improving from 72 to 86.4 is a 20% increase: (86.4 - 72) / 72 * 100 = 20%.

Common questions

How do I calculate percentage increase manually?

Subtract the original value from the new value, divide the difference by the original value, then multiply by 100. For example, if a price rises from $50 to $65: (65 - 50) / 50 * 100 = 30%.

Can percentage increase be negative?

Not on this calculator. If the new value is lower than the original, the result is a decrease, not an increase. Use the Percentage Decrease Calculator for drops.

What is the difference between percentage increase and percentage change?

Percentage increase is a type of percentage change that only measures growth. Percentage change covers both growth and decline. If you are not sure whether the result is an increase or decrease, use Percentage Change.

Why is the original value used as the reference point?

The original value is the baseline. Dividing by the original value makes the result independent of scale, so you can compare a 20% increase on $50 with a 20% increase on $5,000 directly.

How do I find the new value after a percentage increase?

Multiply the original value by (1 + percentage / 100). For example, a 15% increase on $200 gives 200 * 1.15 = $230.

Can I use this for population growth?

Yes. Enter the earlier population as the original value and the later population as the new value. The result shows the growth rate over that period.