What is the Excel formula for percentage?

Use =part/total and format the result as Percentage. For example, =B2/C2 returns the percentage of B2 relative to C2.

How do I calculate percent change in Excel?

Use =(new_value-old_value)/old_value and format the result as Percentage.

Why does my formula show an error?

Open the linked error pages (#N/A, #VALUE!, #REF!) from our directory. Most formula posts fail because of data type mismatches, deleted references, or wrong match modes — not because the function name is wrong.

Should I copy formulas down or use a Table?

Copying down is fine for one-off models. Convert the range to an Excel Table when you add rows often — structured references stay readable and break less.

Formulas - 2026-05-12

How to Calculate Percentage in Excel

Learn percentage formulas in Excel for percent of total, percent change, discounts, margins, completion rates, and common formatting mistakes.

The Basic Percentage Formula

In Excel, percentages are decimal values formatted as percent. The value 0.25 displays as 25%. Basic formula: \\\ =part/total \\\ Then apply Percentage format. Example: \\\ =B2/C2 \\\ If B2 is 25 and C2 is 100, the result is 25%.

Percent of Total

To calculate each item as a percentage of the total: \\\ =B2/SUM($B$2:$B$10) \\\ The dollar signs lock the total range so the formula copies correctly.

Percent Change

Use this formula to measure increase or decrease: \\\ =(new_value-old_value)/old_value \\\ Example: \\\ =(C2-B2)/B2 \\\ If sales increased from 100 to 125, the result is 25%.

Discount Percentage

To calculate the discounted price: \\\ =price*(1-discount) \\\ Example: \\\ =A2*(1-B2) \\\ If A2 is 100 and B2 is 20%, the result is 80.

Profit Margin Percentage

Profit margin: \\\ =(revenue-cost)/revenue \\\ Example: \\\ =(B2-C2)/B2 \\\ Format the result as Percentage.

Common Percentage Mistakes

Typing 25 instead of 25% Forgetting to lock the total with absolute references Dividing by the wrong base value Formatting a whole number as percent and getting 2500%

Related Guides

SUM function AVERAGE function Excel Formulas for Beginners Excel Formula Audit Checklist

Formula debugging workflow

Step Action 1 Select the cell and read the formula in the formula bar 2 Use Formulas → Evaluate Formula for nested functions 3 Check for text stored as numbers (green triangle) 4 Fix errors using our formula error guide Go deeper: Compare similar functions · Fix common problems

Frequently asked questions

What is the Excel formula for percentage? Use =part/total and format the result as Percentage. For example, =B2/C2 returns the percentage of B2 relative to C2.
How do I calculate percent change in Excel? Use =(new_value-old_value)/old_value and format the result as Percentage.
Why does my formula show an error? Open the linked error pages (#N/A, #VALUE!, #REF!) from our directory. Most formula posts fail because of data type mismatches, deleted references, or wrong match modes — not because the function name is wrong.
Should I copy formulas down or use a Table? Copying down is fine for one-off models. Convert the range to an Excel Table when you add rows often — structured references stay readable and break less.