Remove Percentage in Google Sheets: Format or Convert

To remove the percent sign in Google Sheets, select the cells and choose Format > Number > Number. This changes how values display, not what they mean: a stored value of 25% becomes 0.25. If you want it to display as 25 instead, multiply the underlying decimal by 100 first. The right method depends on whether you only want to change the appearance or need a different numeric value.

What You’ll Need

A Google Sheets spreadsheet open in a web browser, with the cells you want to change identified.
A quick check of what the values should mean after the change. For instance, decide whether 25% should become 0.25 or 25.
If you plan to replace the original values with converted ones, make a copy of the sheet or preserve the original column until you have checked the results.

Step-by-Step

Check the values before changing anything. Click a cell that displays a percentage and look at the formula bar above the grid. A cell showing 25% will commonly contain the numeric value 0.25. The percent sign is often just number formatting. If the formula bar shows text such as 25% rather than a usable number, the cell may contain text instead; see the troubleshooting section before applying a bulk change. Also check whether the percentage cells are formula results, since changing their display format does not remove or alter the formulas.
Select the cells to change. Drag over a continuous range, click a column letter to select a whole column, or hold Ctrl on Windows while selecting separate ranges. On a Mac, use Command for nonadjacent selections. Avoid selecting entire columns if they contain other kinds of values or formulas that should keep their current formats. If the range includes a header, leave it out unless it also needs formatting.
Remove percentage formatting when a decimal is acceptable. In the Google Sheets menu, choose Format > Number > Number. The percent sign disappears and the underlying decimal is displayed instead. For example, a stored value of 0.25 that appeared as 25% will now appear as 0.25. This is the simplest option when the data represents a proportion or rate and you want to see its actual stored value. It does not multiply or divide the data.
Choose a suitable number of decimal places. After applying Number, check whether the displayed precision is useful. Use the increase or decrease decimal place buttons on the toolbar if you need more or fewer visible digits. For example, 0.256 formatted to two decimal places may appear as 0.26, but the stored value remains 0.256. Do not confuse rounded display with rounded data: changing decimal places usually changes only what is shown. If exact values matter, inspect the formula bar or use a format with enough decimal places.
Convert a percentage such as 25% into the number 25 when needed. Use an empty helper column so the original data remains available. With percentage values in A2:A10, enter this in B2 to multiply the first value by 100: =A2*100. If A2 contains 25% (stored as 0.25), B2 returns 25. Drag the fill handle down through the rows you need. Format the results as numbers using Format > Number > Number if they show an unwanted percent sign or an unexpected format. Check a few results against the originals before using them.
Replace the originals only after verifying the conversion. If the helper column is correct, select and copy its results. Select the destination range and choose Edit > Paste special > Values only to paste fixed numbers rather than formulas. Then apply Format > Number > Number if necessary. Keep a backup until you confirm that totals, charts, and dependent formulas still behave as intended. If other cells refer to the original range, replacing it with converted values may change those calculations.
Handle text percentages separately. If imported values are text, first test a single cell in a helper column rather than converting the whole range. With text percentages such as 25% in A2, enter =VALUE(A2)*100 in B2. For the text value 25%, the result should be the number 25. Fill down only if the test works for the rest of the data, then use Paste special > Values only to replace the source if that is your goal. If values contain extra spaces, unusual symbols, or a different regional decimal convention, clean or adjust those entries before relying on the result.

Google Sheets in a web browser uses the menu paths above. Excel has its own number-format menus and paste-special options, so do not assume that a Sheets menu instruction will match Excel exactly.

Common Mistakes

Expecting 25% to become 25 just by removing its format. Percentage formatting displays a stored decimal multiplied by 100 and adds a percent sign. Removing that format reveals the stored decimal, so 25% becomes 0.25. Multiply by 100 if the desired numeric result is 25.
Multiplying every value without checking its meaning. If the cells already contain the number 25 and merely have a percent style applied, multiplying by 100 would produce 2500. Check a representative cell in the formula bar and confirm the intended scale first.
Replacing formulas with converted values too soon. Pasting values over formulas removes the formulas. Keep an untouched copy or helper column until you have confirmed the results and checked any dependent calculations.
Assuming the percent sign proves a cell contains a number. Imported data can look like a percentage but be stored as text. Number formatting alone will not reliably turn text into numeric data; use a test conversion and inspect the result.
Thinking a rounded display changed the underlying value. A number that appears as 0.26 may still hold 0.256. Increase the displayed decimal places or inspect the formula bar before concluding that data has been rounded.

Tips

Make a duplicate tab before a large conversion: click the tab’s arrow or right-click its name and choose Duplicate. This gives you a straightforward way to compare the original values with the changed ones.
Use a helper column with a clear heading such as Converted value. It makes the operation visible, allows you to compare row by row, and lets you undo the conversion simply by deleting the helper column.
Test at least one small percentage, one larger percentage, and any blank or unusual entry before filling a formula down. A range may contain zeros, blanks, errors, or text that needs separate handling.
Use Number formatting for ordinary numeric output. If the values are counts or measurements, choose a format that suits those values rather than applying a percentage format again. The percent sign should appear only when the displayed value is intended to represent a rate.
Remember that formatting is shared with the cell, not necessarily with its meaning. If a cell contains a formula that returns a decimal ratio, changing its format to Number removes the percent display but leaves the calculation intact.

Troubleshooting

The value changed to 0.25 instead of 25. That is the expected result when a percentage-formatted value is changed to Number. If you require 25 as a numeric value, use the helper-column multiplication method, verify the output, and then paste values if you want to replace the original data.

The percent sign remains after choosing Number. Confirm that the intended cells were selected, then reopen Format > Number and choose Number again. If the cell is controlled by a formula, the formula can remain unchanged while its result’s format changes. If you are viewing a chart label rather than the sheet cell, adjust the chart’s label formatting separately; changing the grid cell format may not change every chart display.

The helper formula gives an error or does not return a number. Check that the source is a numeric percentage and that the formula refers to the correct row. If the cell contains text, try the VALUE conversion on one example. If the text has a space or an extra character, remove that first. Sheets settings for locale can affect how decimal separators are interpreted, so imported text may need cleanup before it converts correctly.

Some rows convert correctly while others do not. The source range may mix numbers, text, blanks, and errors. Test different types of rows individually rather than filling a formula through the entire column immediately. Keep exceptional rows unchanged until you know whether they should be skipped, cleaned, or converted by a different method.

Other calculations changed after replacing the source. Check which formulas refer to the original cells. Converting from a proportion such as 0.25 to 25 changes the scale, so totals, averages, comparisons, or charts may no longer mean the same thing. Restore the original data from your duplicate tab if needed, then update dependent calculations deliberately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does removing percentage formatting change the value?
No. Choosing Format > Number > Number changes the display format, not the stored value. A cell containing 0.25 and displayed as 25% will show 0.25 afterward.

How do I change 25% to 25 in Google Sheets?
Multiply the numeric percentage by 100 in a helper column, check the result, and paste values if you want to replace the original. The conversion changes the numeric scale, unlike simply removing the percent format.

Can I remove the percent sign but keep the value as 25% internally?
A value stored as 0.25 cannot display as the number 25 without a display or data transformation that changes how it is represented. If you need a numeric 25, convert it by multiplying by 100; if you need the proportion 0.25, use Number formatting and accept that it displays as 0.25.

Will this work on a whole column?
Yes. Click the column letter, then choose Format > Number > Number. First check that the column does not contain dates, text, or other values whose formats should stay as they are. For conversions, use a helper formula and fill it only through the rows that contain the intended data.

Why does typing 25 into a percent-formatted cell show 2500%?
When a cell is formatted as a percentage, entering 25 means the numeric value 25, which displays as 2500%. To enter 25%, type 25% or enter 0.25. If you later remove percentage formatting, those entries display as 0.25.

Can I remove percentage formatting from formula results?
Yes. Select the formula cells and choose Format > Number > Number. The formulas remain in place, but their results display as decimals. If the formulas calculate ratios and you want whole-number percentage points instead, adjust the formula or use a separate conversion column rather than changing the format alone.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

More in How-to basics

Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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