Excel is a powerful tool that allows users to perform various calculations, including percentages. Be a student, a business owner, or anyone who needs to work with data, understanding how to calculate and format percentages in Excel is essential. One of the most popular Excel functions is calculating and formatting percentages. One should know the difference between function and formula to perform the calculations, or Microsoft Excel Masterclass can be helpful for them.
Microsoft Excel helps calculate a percentage increase or decrease or simply format numbers. This blog will help you explore the basics of calculating and formatting percentages in Excel and provide step-by-step instructions on how to do so.
Table of content
- Calculate percentages
- Format numbers as percentages
- Calculate the percentage increase or decrease
- Use conditional formatting for percentages
- Calculate percentages of the total
- Conclusion
Table of Contents
Calculate Percentages
Excel provides several ways to calculate percentages. The most common method of calculating percentages in Excel is using the “Percentage” formula. To do this, select the cell where you want to display the result and type “=” followed by the formula.
For example, to calculate 30% of 100, you would enter “30%*100” in the cell. Excel will then calculate the result and display it in the cell.
Format Numbers as Percentages
Formatting numbers as percentages in Excel is a simple process. Start by selecting the cell or range you want to format. Then, right-click and select “Format Cells.” In the “Format Cells” dialog box, click on the “Percentage” category and select the number of decimal places you want to display. Click “OK”, and Excel will automatically format the selected cells as percentages.
Calculate the Percentage Increase or Decrease
Microsoft Excel is a great tool to calculate the increase or decrease in percentage between two numbers. To calculate the percentage increase, subtract the original value from the new value, divide the result by original value, and multiply by 100. To calculate the percentage decrease, simply reverse the order of the values.
For example, if the original value was 100 and the new value is 120, the percentage increase would be calculated as follows: (120-100)/100*100=20%
Use Conditional Formatting for Percentages
Excel’s conditional formatting feature can highlight cells that contain specific values or meet certain criteria. To use conditional formatting for percentages, select the cell range you want to format, click on “Conditional Formatting” in the “Home” tab, and select “Highlight Cell Rules” and “Greater Than.” After that, Enter the percentage value you want to use and choose a formatting option, such as a different colour or bold text. Excel will then apply the formatting to any cells that meet the specified criteria.
Calculate Percentages of the Total
Excel can also be used to calculate the percentage of a total. To do this, first, calculate the total value by summing the values in the range. Then, divide each value by the total value and multiply with 100.
For example, if you have a range of values in cells A1 to A10 and the total values in cell B1, you can calculate the percentage of each value as follows: =A1/B1100, =A2/B1100, and so on.
Conclusion
Microsoft Excel offers various ways to calculate and format percentages, and that depends upon the analysis and data requirements. Presentation and data usage effectively need the application of the right formulas and formats. Excel provides a variety of functions and features that can help with that. Mastering the concepts of calculation and formatting percentages in Excel can help their audience better understand the results.