Percentage Increase Calculator
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Enter any two values to calculate the percentage increase instantly. Shows full step-by-step working so you can see exactly how the answer is reached.
Enter any two values to calculate the percentage increase instantly. Shows full step-by-step working so you can see exactly how the answer is reached.
Percentage increase measures how much a value has grown relative to its original amount, expressed as a percentage. Rather than just saying "the price went up by £20", percentage increase gives you context — a £20 increase on a £100 item is very different to a £20 increase on a £1,000 item.
It is one of the most commonly used calculations in everyday life — from working out a pay rise to understanding how much a bill has gone up, comparing investment returns, or calculating VAT on a price.
The formula for percentage increase is:
Percentage Increase = ((New Value − Original Value) ÷ Original Value) × 100
Breaking it down step by step:
If the result is positive, the value has increased. If it is negative, the value has actually decreased — in that case use the Percentage Decrease Calculator instead.
Example 1 — Salary increase
Your salary goes from £32,000 to £35,200. What is the percentage increase?
Increase = 35,200 − 32,000 = 3,200
Percentage = (3,200 ÷ 32,000) × 100 = 10%
Example 2 — House price
A house bought for £250,000 is now worth £287,500. By what percentage has it increased?
Increase = 287,500 − 250,000 = 37,500
Percentage = (37,500 ÷ 250,000) × 100 = 15%
Example 3 — Energy bill
Your electricity bill rises from £85 per month to £102. What is the increase?
Increase = 102 − 85 = 17
Percentage = (17 ÷ 85) × 100 = 20%
Example 4 — Website traffic
A website had 4,200 visits last month and 5,040 this month. What is the increase?
Increase = 5,040 − 4,200 = 840
Percentage = (840 ÷ 4,200) × 100 = 20%
Example 5 — Product price with VAT
A product costs £80 before VAT. After adding 20% VAT the price is £96. What is the percentage increase?
Increase = 96 − 80 = 16
Percentage = (16 ÷ 80) × 100 = 20%
The table below shows what a new value looks like after common percentage increases from a starting value of 100.
| % Increase | Multiplier | Example: £100 becomes | Common context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | × 1.05 | £105 | Below-inflation pay rise |
| 10% | × 1.10 | £110 | Typical pay rise |
| 15% | × 1.15 | £115 | Promotion increase |
| 20% | × 1.20 | £120 | UK VAT rate |
| 25% | × 1.25 | £125 | Strong investment return |
| 50% | × 1.50 | £150 | Markup on cost price |
| 100% | × 2.00 | £200 | Value has doubled |
Percentage increase only applies when a value goes up. If a value goes down, that is a percentage decrease. The more general term percentage change covers both increases and decreases — the formula is identical but can return a positive (increase) or negative (decrease) result.
Percentage difference is a related but distinct concept — it compares two values without specifying a direction, and divides by the average of the two values rather than the original. Use it when you want a neutral comparison rather than a change from a specific starting point.
How do you calculate percentage increase?
Subtract the original value from the new value to find the difference, divide that by the original
value, then multiply by 100. For example, an increase from 80 to 100 gives: (100 − 80) ÷ 80 × 100 = 25%.
Can percentage increase be more than 100%?
Yes. A 100% increase means the value has doubled. A 200% increase means it has tripled.
There is no upper limit. For example, if a stock price rises from £2 to £10, that is a 400% increase.
Can percentage increase be negative?
If you get a negative result using this formula, the value has actually decreased rather than increased.
This would be a percentage decrease. Use the Percentage Decrease Calculator in that case.
What is the difference between percentage increase and percentage points?
These are commonly confused. If an interest rate rises from 3% to 5%, it has increased by 2 percentage points
but by 66.7% as a percentage increase ((5−3)÷3×100). Percentage points simply measure the arithmetic
difference between two percentages.
How do I find the new value after a percentage increase?
Multiply the original value by (1 + the percentage ÷ 100). For example, to increase £200 by 15%:
200 × 1.15 = £230. Alternatively use the Percentage Of Calculator to find 15% of 200 (= 30) and add it on.
How is percentage increase used in pay rises?
If your salary is £28,000 and you receive a 7% pay rise: 28,000 × 0.07 = £1,960 increase,
giving a new salary of £29,960. The Salary Increase Calculator
handles this in more detail, including monthly and weekly breakdowns.
What is a percentage increase multiplier?
The multiplier is a shortcut for applying a percentage increase. Instead of calculating the increase
separately and adding it, you multiply directly by (1 + rate). For a 20% increase, the multiplier is
1.20. For a 5% increase it is 1.05. This is especially useful when applying successive percentage increases.
How do successive percentage increases work?
Two successive increases do not simply add together. A 10% increase followed by another 10% increase
gives a combined increase of 21%, not 20% — because the second 10% is applied to the already-increased
value. To calculate successive increases, multiply the multipliers: 1.10 × 1.10 = 1.21, which is a 21% increase.