RunTheTests

Percentage Calculator

The three percentage questions people actually ask — each with its own formula.

System verdict

RESULT

15% of 200 = 30

To find a percentage of a number, multiply the number by the percentage over 100.

Diagnostic telemetry
Result
30

What this cannot tell you

  • Pure arithmetic on the values you enter.

How this calculation works

Pick the question you are asking, because each is a different formula. "A% of B" multiplies B by A/100. "A is what percent of B" divides A by B. "Percent change" takes the difference over the starting value.

What the results mean

A% of B
A slice of a whole — 15% of 200 is 30.
A is what % of B
A as a proportion — 30 out of 200 is 15%.
Percent change
Growth or decline relative to the start. From 200 to 230 is +15%; the base is always the starting value.

Frequently asked questions

Why is percent change measured against the starting value?

Because change is relative to where you began. A rise from 100 to 150 is +50%, but the reverse — 150 back to 100 — is only −33%, because the base is different each time. That asymmetry surprises people, and it is why the starting value, not the average, is the denominator.

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