Tuesday, November 13, 2018

How to calculate a percentage increase

I used to say I hated math before I realized that's not entirely true: I use some type of math every day*.

Recently, I had a need to calculate the percentage increase of something. Though calculating a percentage increase may be common in industries like accounting, I'm willing to bet most people couldn't perform the calculation if asked randomly.

If all that stood between you and a million dollars was being able to calculate a percentage increase (yes, these are the things I think about), wouldn't you want to be prepared?

Image result for math gif
All but the most basic math used to make my head spin.
Luckily, this calculation isn't that complicated.
First, work out the difference (increase) between the two numbers you're comparing:

Image result for percentage increase

Next, divide the increase by the original number and multiply the answer by 100. (If your answer is a negative number then this is a percentage decrease.)

Voilà, that million dollars is yours 😊💰

* Many thanks to my high school math tutor for helping me reach this place of "math enlightenment"... you da best, JF!