Percentage Increase Calculator

Calculate the percentage increase or decrease between two values.

Starting value before the increase.

Value after the increase.

Live increase · Reverse mode · Updated May 2026

Percentage increase

25%

Percent gain relative to the original value.

New / final value

100

Value after the increase.

Original value

80

Increase amount

20

Growth multiple

1.25×

Mode

Original value to new value

Formula used

Percentage Increase = (New Value − Original Value) ÷ Original Value × 100

(100 − 80) ÷ 80 × 100

The value increased by 20 because it changed from 80 to 100.
The percentage increase is 25% because the increase is compared to the original value.
After the increase, the new value is 1.25× the original.
An increase followed by the same percentage decrease does not return to the original because the base changes.
Reverse percentage increase works backward by dividing by the growth factor.
Use the original value in the denominator, not the new value.

Percentage Increase Formulas

Increase Amount

Increase Amount = New Value − Original Value

Percentage Increase

Percentage Increase = (New Value − Original Value) ÷ Original Value × 100

New Value After Increase

New Value = Original Value × (1 + Percentage Increase ÷ 100)

Reverse Original Value

Original Value = New Value ÷ (1 + Percentage Increase ÷ 100)

Growth Multiple

Growth Multiple = New Value ÷ Original Value

Variable Explanations

Original value

Starting value before the increase.

New value

Value after the increase.

Increase amount

New value minus original value.

Percentage increase

Increase amount as a percent of the original value.

Growth multiple

New value divided by original value.

Reverse increase

Finding the original value from the final value.

What Percentage Increase Means

Relative gain

Percentage increase measures how much a value rose relative to its starting point.

Original is the base

The original value is the denominator in the formula.

Growth factor

A 25% increase means the new value is 125% of the original.

Everyday use

Common in prices, salaries, investments, traffic, statistics, and growth rates.

Not percentage points

Percentage increase is not the same as adding percentage points.

Decrease check

If the new value is lower, the change is a decrease.

Worked Examples

Increase from 80 to 100

Formula: (100 − 80) ÷ 80 × 100

Answer: 25%

The value rose by 20, which is 25% of 80.

Increase from 200 to 250

Formula: (250 − 200) ÷ 200 × 100

Answer: 25%

The increase amount is 50.

New value after 15% increase from 120

Formula: 120 × (1 + 15 ÷ 100)

Answer: 138

A 15% increase means the final value is 115% of the original.

Original from final 150 after 25% increase

Formula: 150 ÷ 1.25

Answer: 120

Reverse increase divides by the growth factor.

Increase amount and growth multiple

Formula: 100 to 140

Answer: Increase = 40, growth multiple = 1.4×

The new value is 1.4 times the original.

New value lower than original

Formula: 80 compared with 100

Answer: 20% decrease

This is not an increase.

20% increase then 20% decrease

Formula: 100 → 120 → 96

Answer: Not back to 100

The second percent uses a different base.

Decimal value example

Formula: (15 − 12.5) ÷ 12.5 × 100

Answer: 20%

Decimals work the same way.

Percentage Increase vs Percentage Change

Percentage increase

Percentage increase is a positive percent gain when the new value is higher than the original. Example: 80 to 100 is a 25% increase.

Percentage change

Percentage change can be positive or negative. Example: 100 to 80 is a 20% decrease because the base is now 100.

Reverse Percentage Increase

Reverse percentage increase finds the original value before an increase. Do not simply subtract the percentage from the final value. If 150 is the value after a 25% increase, then 150 is 125% of the original. Original value = 150 ÷ 1.25 = 120.

Common Use Cases

Salary raises
Price increases
Investment growth
Traffic growth
Revenue growth
Population growth
Grade improvements
Business metrics
Inflation-style changes

Common Percentage Increase Mistakes

Dividing by the new value instead of the original value.
Subtracting the percentage directly from the final value to reverse it.
Treating increase amount and percentage increase as the same thing.
Assuming a 20% increase and 20% decrease cancel out.
Confusing percentage increase with percentage points.
Using an original value of zero.
Interpreting a decrease as an increase.
Rounding too early.

Understanding Your Results

Percentage increase

Percent gain relative to the original value.

Increase amount

Absolute amount gained.

New value

Value after the increase.

Growth multiple

How many times larger the new value is than the original.

Reverse original value

Estimated starting value before the increase.

Frequently Asked Questions