Percentage Increase Calculator
Three modes with textbook working: % increase between numbers, apply a raise, or find the original before the hike.
💡 Enter marks, prices, followers, weights — any before/after pair.
80 → 120 is a
50% increase
absolute change: 40
Step-by-step working
1. Change = 120 − 80 = 40
2. Divide by the original: 40 ÷ 80 = 0.5
3. × 100 → 50% increase
📊 Before and after
⚠️ Percentage changes don't cancel: +50% then −50% leaves you at 75% of the start, because the second change acts on a different base. The reverse mode exists precisely for this asymmetry.
📈Every version of the increase question
Percentage increase comes in three disguises, and this calculator solves all of them with the working shown step by step like a textbook: the change between two numbers("marks went 80 → 120, what's the increase?"), applying an increase ("₹500 up 15% = ?"), and the trap everyone falls into — the reverse("after a 15% hike it's ₹690; what was it before?" — and no, it isn't 690 minus 15%).
📊Everything you'd want to know
- Three modes: between two values, apply an increase, and find-the-original (reverse).
- Step-by-step working for every answer — copy it straight into homework.
- A before/after bar chart so the change is visible, not just numeric.
- A quick table applying 5%–100% to your number at once.
- The +50%/−50% asymmetry explained — the classic exam trick.
🧮The maths
The divisor is always the originalvalue — that's the number the change is measured against. In the reverse case the value you know is already 115% of the original, so you divide by 1.15 rather than subtracting 15%.
💡Where you'll use it
- Marks improvement: from 62% to 74% is a 19.4% relative increase — bigger than the 12-point jump suggests.
- Salary hikes and price rises: always check the reverse mode when negotiating from the 'after' number.
- Growth metrics: followers, views, and revenue changes are all percentage increases from the original.
- Percentage points ≠ percent: 10% → 15% is +5 points but a +50% relative increase.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate percentage increase?+
Subtract the original from the new value, divide by the original, multiply by 100: (new − original) ÷ original × 100. Going from 80 to 120 is (40 ÷ 80) × 100 = 50%. The calculator shows this working for your numbers.
How do I increase a number by a percentage?+
Multiply by (1 + percentage ÷ 100): 500 increased by 15% is 500 × 1.15 = 575. The apply mode does this with the steps written out, plus a quick table for common percentages.
How do I find the original number before an increase?+
Divide the after-value by (1 + %/100) — never subtract the percentage. ₹690 after a 15% hike was 690 ÷ 1.15 = ₹600. Subtracting 15% from 690 gives the wrong answer because the 15% was computed on the smaller original.
What is the difference between percentage increase and percentage points?+
Points compare percentages directly (10% → 15% is +5 points); percentage increase is relative to the start (that same move is a 50% increase). Exams and news reports mix these up constantly — know which one is being asked.
Can percentage increase be more than 100%?+
Yes — doubling is a 100% increase and tripling is 200%. Anything that ends more than twice the original has increased by over 100%.