Percentage Increase Calculator

Original Value

New Value

Percent Increase

12.50%

Amount Increased

6,000.00

48,000.00 rose to 54,000.00, an increase of 12.50%.

Formula

Percent Increase = ((New − Original) ÷ Original) × 100

Percentage increase is the size of a rise between two values, expressed as a percentage of the original value. It's the growth-only counterpart to percentage decrease, same mechanics, applied going up from a starting point instead of down.

It answers questions like "how much did my salary go up," "how much has this neighborhood's home values appreciated," or "how much has this account grown", anywhere the new value is expected to be larger than the original.

Percentage Increase Formula

Percent Increase = New − Original Original × 100

Original: The starting value, shown in blue, matching the first field above.
New: The value after growth, shown in teal, matching the second field above.

This formula divides by the original value directly rather than its absolute value, since percentage increase is normally applied to quantities that start out positive, salaries, prices, account balances. For values that might be negative, use percentage change instead.

How to Calculate Percentage Increase

Four steps, the same shape as a decrease calculation, just measuring growth instead of decline.

Subtract the original value from the new value
Divide by the original value
Multiply by 100
Confirm the result is positive

Percentage Increase Examples

A salary raise and a home value appreciation, two of the most common places this calculation gets used.

Example 1, Salary raise, $48,000 to $54,000

+12.50%

Identify the values Original = $48,000, New = $54,000
Subtract 54,000 − 48,000 = $6,000
Divide by the original 6,000 ÷ 48,000 = 0.125
Multiply by 100 0.125 × 100 = 12.50%
Confirm the sign Positive → an increase of 12.50%

A raise from $48,000 to $54,000 is a 12.5% increase, the figure most offer letters and negotiation conversations actually use, rather than the flat $6,000.

Example 2, Home value, $265,000 to $304,750

+15.00%

Identify the values Original = $265,000, New = $304,750
Subtract 304,750 − 265,000 = $39,750
Divide by the original 39,750 ÷ 265,000 = 0.15
Multiply by 100 0.15 × 100 = 15.00%
Confirm the sign Positive → an increase of 15.00%

A home purchased for $265,000 and now valued at $304,750 has appreciated 15%, a figure used in refinancing, equity, and property tax assessment conversations alike.

Relationship to Percentage Decrease

Percentage increase and percentage decrease are mirror operations built from the same formula shape, differing only in which value comes first in the numerator: increase measures New − Original, decrease measures Original − New. A value that increases 25% and then decreases 25% does not return to where it started, precisely because the two calculations use different denominators, the increase divides by the smaller original value, the decrease divides by the larger value it grew to. Understanding one direction well is most of the way to understanding the other.

Where Percentage Increase Shows Up

Salary and Compensation

Raises, cost-of-living adjustments, and job offers are almost always discussed as a percentage increase over current pay, since it's meaningful regardless of the starting salary.

Home Value Appreciation

Real estate listings, refinancing decisions, and property tax assessments express a home's gain in value as a percentage increase since purchase or since the last assessment.

Membership and Subscriber Growth

Newsletters, gyms, and subscription services report a growing member base as a percentage increase period over period, which is more meaningful to stakeholders than the raw headcount alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between percentage increase and percentage change?

Percentage increase assumes growth and is typically discussed without a sign, "a 12% increase." Percentage change is signed and covers both directions from one formula, so a fall shows up as a negative percentage change rather than a separate calculation. See the percentage change calculator for the general-purpose version.

Is there a maximum possible percentage increase?

No, unlike a decrease, which is capped at 100% (reaching zero), an increase has no ceiling. A value can grow by 500%, 5,000%, or more; it simply means the new value is that many times larger than where it started.

How do I calculate a raise as a percentage?

Subtract your old salary from your new salary, divide by your old salary, and multiply by 100. A raise from $48,000 to $54,000 is a 12.5% increase, see the worked example below.

What does a 100% increase mean?

A 100% increase means the value has exactly doubled. A common mix-up: doubling something is a 100% increase, not a 200% increase, because the increase is measured against the original value, and the original value itself is the other 100%.

Can percentage increase be calculated for negative numbers?

This calculator divides by the original value as given, not its absolute value, which matches how percentage increase is conventionally used for values that are always positive (salaries, prices, populations). If your original value can be negative, use the percentage change calculator, which protects against a sign flip with an absolute value in the denominator.

What's the difference between percentage increase and markup?

The arithmetic is the same, but markup specifically starts from a cost and adds a margin to reach a selling price, it's a pricing decision. Percentage increase is the general term for any value growing from any starting point. See the markup calculator for the pricing-specific version.

What happens if I apply a 20% increase twice in a row?

You don't get a 40% increase, you get 44%. Two consecutive 20% increases multiply as 1.20 × 1.20 = 1.44, a 44% total increase, because the second increase is calculated on the already-larger value.

Why is doubling a value a 100% increase and not a 200% increase?

Percentage increase measures the added amount relative to the original value. Doubling 50 to 100 adds 50, and 50 is 100% of the original 50, so it's a 100% increase, even though the new value (100) is 200% of the original as a ratio, which is a related but different statement.

How is percentage increase used in salary negotiations?

Recruiters and employees typically frame a job offer's raise as a percentage increase over current salary, since it's comparable across people with very different starting salaries in a way a flat dollar figure isn't.

How do I find the original value before a known percentage increase?

Divide the new value by (1 + rate ÷ 100). A value that grew 15% to reach 200 started at 200 ÷ 1.15 ≈ 173.91. The formula deep-dive covers this and the decrease-side rearrangement in full.