How to Calculate a Percentage of a Number in Excel

To get a percentage of a number in Excel, multiply the number by the percentage: enter the number in one cell, the percentage in another, then use a formula such as =A2*B2. If A2 contains 240 and B2 contains 15%, the result is 36. This guide shows how to set up that calculation, display the result clearly, copy it for more rows, and handle common variations such as discounts.

What You’ll Need

A workbook in Microsoft Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows. The same basic formulas work in Excel for Mac and Excel for the web.
A cell containing the number you want to calculate from, such as a price, quantity, or score.
A cell containing the percentage. Enter it as a percentage such as 15%, or as its decimal equivalent, 0.15.
An empty cell for the result.

You do not need a special Excel function for this calculation. The multiplication operator is enough, and the cell-based approach makes it easy to update the number or rate later without rewriting the formula.

Step-by-Step

Set up the cells. Type the number into A2 and the rate into B2. For example, enter 240 in A2 and 15% in B2. Put a label above each value if you want, such as Number in A1 and Percentage in B1. Keep the cells holding the values separate from the labels so your formula can refer to the numeric cells.
Enter the calculation formula. With the number in A2, the percentage in B2, and the result intended for C2, type =A2*B2 into C2 and press Enter. Excel multiplies 240 by 0.15, so C2 returns 36. The formula uses the percentage value stored in B2; it does not require a percent-specific function.
Check that Excel recognizes the percentage. If you typed 15% directly into B2, Excel stores it as 0.15 while displaying it as 15%. You can also enter 0.15 and use the Percent Style button to display it as 15%. Do not type 15 when you mean 15%, unless you intend to calculate fifteen times the number rather than fifteen percent of it.
Choose how to display the result. A2 times B2 gives an amount, not a percentage. For the example, the answer is 36, so leave C2 in a regular number or currency format as appropriate. To apply a format, select C2 and use Home > Number on the ribbon. Choose a suitable number format, such as Currency for a price-based amount. Applying Percent Style to the result would display 36 as 3,600%, which is usually not what you want.
Copy the calculation to more rows if needed. Suppose A2:A5 contains four numbers and B2:B5 contains their corresponding percentages. With each row’s number in column A, its rate in column B, and its result in column C, enter =A2*B2 in C2. Select C2 and drag the small square at its lower-right corner (the fill handle) down through C5. Excel adjusts the references by row, so C3 uses A3 and B3, C4 uses A4 and B4, and so on. You can also double-click the fill handle to fill down alongside neighboring data.
Use the same idea for a discount. Multiplying a price by a discount rate finds the discount amount, not the price after the discount. With the original price in A2, the discount rate in B2, and the reduced price in C2, use =A2*(1-B2). For a price of 240 and a discount of 15%, the result is 204. If you also need the discount amount, calculate it separately using the basic multiplication formula; in that layout, A2 is the price, B2 is the discount rate, and C2 is the discount amount, so enter =A2*B2, which returns 36.
Use the formula for an increase when appropriate. To add a percentage increase to a number, multiply by one plus the rate. With the original value in A2, the increase rate in B2, and the increased value in C2, enter =A2*(1+B2). A value of 240 increased by 15% becomes 276. This gives the new total; the increase amount by itself is still found by multiplying the original value by the rate.

On Excel for Mac, enter and copy the formula in the same way. The ribbon may be arranged differently depending on the window size, but number formatting is available from the Home tab. In Excel for the web, formulas and the fill handle work similarly; some ribbon controls may appear in a simplified layout.

Common Mistakes

Entering 15 instead of 15%. Excel treats 15 as fifteen whole units. Multiplying 240 by 15 returns 3,600, while multiplying it by 15% returns 36. Enter 15% or 0.15 for a fifteen-percent rate.
Confusing the amount with the rate. Fifteen percent of 240 is 36. The answer 36 is an amount, not 36%. Apply a percentage format only when the result itself represents a rate.
Formatting the result as a percentage by accident. Excel displays the underlying value 36 as 3,600% in percentage format. Change the result to General, Number, or Currency using Home > Number.
Using the wrong cell references. Check that the formula points to the cell containing the number and the cell containing its rate. If a rate is in C2, for example, a formula that multiplies A2 by B2 will not use it.
Multiplying when you mean to find the remaining amount. A 15% discount on 240 is 36, but the discounted price is 204. Use the discount formula in the steps above when you need the final price.
Typing a formula without the equals sign. Excel needs the leading equals sign to calculate a formula. Without it, the entry may be treated as text instead.

Tips

Label columns clearly. Names such as Original Amount, Rate, and Result make a worksheet easier to review and reduce the chance of multiplying the wrong values.
Keep the rate in its own cell. If a percentage changes, updating that cell automatically updates the result. This is safer and easier to maintain than typing a new rate inside every formula.
Use consistent number formats. Format the rate column as Percentage and the result as Number or Currency where suitable. To set a rate to display as a percentage, select the rate cells and choose Home > Number > Percent Style. The displayed decimal places can be adjusted with the increase or decrease decimal buttons in the Number group.
Check the result with a quick estimate. Ten percent of 240 is 24, so 15% should be a little more, or 36. A result of 3,600 suggests the rate may have been entered as 15 instead of 15%.
Copy formulas rather than copying only the displayed answer. The formula updates when the inputs change. A pasted value will not recalculate if the original number or rate is edited.
Use absolute references for a single shared rate. If every row uses one rate in B1, enter the number in A2 and put the result in C2. Use =A2*$B$1 in C2, then fill down. The dollar signs keep the rate fixed at B1 as the formula is copied. On Windows, press F4 while editing a cell reference to cycle through reference types; on many Mac keyboards, use Command+T or Fn+F4 depending on keyboard settings. You can also type the dollar signs yourself.
Remember that rounding affects display and values differently. Formatting a result to show two decimal places changes how it looks, not necessarily the stored precision. If you need a rounded value for a particular purpose, check the rules for that task before changing the calculation.

Troubleshooting

The formula displays as text. Make sure it begins with = and that the cell is not set to the Text format. Select the cell, choose Home > Number > General, then edit the cell and press Enter again. Remove an accidental apostrophe before the equals sign if one appears in the formula bar.
The result is much too large. Inspect the percentage cell. If the intended rate is 15%, it should contain 15% or 0.15, not 15. Also check whether the result was formatted as a percentage when it should be a number or currency.
The result is zero or unexpectedly small. Check for a rate entered as 0 or a decimal that is smaller than intended. For instance, 0.15% is 0.0015, which is one hundredth of 15%.
The formula shows #VALUE!. One of the referenced cells may contain text instead of a number, such as a number with extra words typed into the same cell. Keep labels in separate cells, and confirm that both inputs are numeric values.
Copied rows repeat the same answer or use the wrong rate. Click a copied result and inspect the formula bar. Relative references should change from row to row when each row has its own rate. If every row should use one shared rate, use an absolute reference such as $B$1 as shown in the Tips section.
The displayed answer has too many decimal places. Select the result cells and use the decimal-place controls in Home > Number. This changes display only; it does not necessarily round the stored result.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the formula for finding 20% of a number in Excel?
Multiply the number by 20%. With the number in A2, the rate in B2, and the answer in C2, enter =A2*B2 and put 20% in B2. If A2 is 150, the result is 30.

Can I type the percentage directly into the formula?
Yes. With the calculation in C2, you could enter =A2*15% if the number is in A2. A separate rate cell is more convenient when you expect to change the percentage or copy the formula for other rates.

How do I find what percentage one number is of another?
This is a different calculation: divide the part by the total. With the part in A2, the total in B2, and the result in C2, enter =A2/B2. If A2 is 60 and B2 is 200, the result is 0.3; format C2 as a percentage to display 30%.

How do I calculate a percentage of a total for several rows?
Put each row’s amount in one column and its percentage in another, enter the multiplication formula in the result column, then use the fill handle to copy it down. Check that each row contains the intended rate and that the formula references the matching row.

Why does Excel show 0.15 instead of 15%?
The value may be correct but formatted as a decimal. Select the percentage cell and choose Home > Number > Percent Style to display 0.15 as 15%. The format changes how the value appears, not the underlying calculation.

Does this work in Excel for Mac or Excel for the web?
Yes. The multiplication formulas work in current Excel for Windows, Mac, and the web. Ribbon placement can vary by platform or window size, but you can still enter the formula in a cell and copy it down with the fill handle.

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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