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Percent Change in Excel and Google Sheets

On this page

Direct answer

If A2 contains the old value and B2 the new value, use =(B2-A2)/A2 and format the result as a percentage.

Formula and method

=(B2-A2)/A2

This page must show the formula exactly as the calculator or worked method uses it. Inputs remain unrounded during the calculation; rounding applies only to the displayed answer unless a domain-specific rule requires otherwise.

Step-by-step calculation

  1. Place old in A2 and new in B2.
  2. Enter =(B2-A2)/A2.
  3. Apply percentage formatting.
  4. Use =IF(A2=0,NA(),(B2-A2)/A2) to make the zero-baseline limitation explicit.

Worked examples

Increase

A2=80 and B2=100 returns 0.25, displayed as 25%.

Decrease

A2=100 and B2=80 returns −0.20.

Magnitude-normalized negative baseline

Only if your policy requires it: =(B2-A2)/ABS(A2), with a visible convention note.

Interpretation and edge cases

  • Do not multiply by 100 and also apply percentage formatting.
  • Lock references only when copying formulas requires it.
  • Avoid silently converting undefined cases to zero.

Frequently asked questions

Does this work in Sheets?

Yes.

How do I show one decimal place?

Change the cell number format; do not round the stored value unless needed.

Why do I see DIV/0?

The old value is zero.

Sources and transparency

The formulas and examples were evidence-checked on 2026-09-10. This is educational mathematical content. It does not replace a field-specific standard, accounting policy, laboratory method, contractual definition or professional judgment. CalculatorGeek should display a named human reviewer only after a real reviewer has completed and documented that review.

Use this resource

1 available tool
Open the Percent Change CalculatorRun the calculation with your own inputs, then return here to interpret it.

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