When working with spreadsheets in Excel, you might often want to calculate the percentage increase or decrease between two values. This can be useful for tracking changes over time, analyzing sales data, managing budgets, and numerous other scenarios. In this article, we’ll show you step-by-step how to calculate the percentage increase or decrease in Excel.

Step 1: Set up your data

Arrange your data in columns or rows with the initial value and the new value. For example, if you want to calculate the percentage increase or decrease in sales revenue over two months, your initial data might look like this:

Month | Sales Revenue

Jan | 1000
Feb | 1200

Step 2: Calculate the difference between values

To begin, you’ll need to calculate the difference between the two values. In a new cell next to your existing values, subtract the initial value from the new value. Using our example above, enter the formula “=B2-B1”:

Month | Sales Revenue | Difference

Jan | 1000 |
Feb | 1200 | 200

Step 3: Divide the difference by the initial value

Next, you’ll need to divide the difference by the initial value to find out how much it increased or decreased relative to that original amount. To do this, simply create another cell and input a formula that divides the difference by the initial value. Use our example from Step 2 and enter “=C2/B1”:

Month | Sales Revenue | Difference | Proportion Change

Jan | 1000 | |
Feb | 1200 | 200 | 0.20

Step 4: Convert proportion change to a percentage

Now that you’ve found out the proportion change, you’ll need to convert it to a percentage. This can be easily done by multiplying the proportion by 100. In a new cell, input a formula that multiplies the proportion change by 100. For our example, enter “=D2*100”:

Month | Sales Revenue | Difference | Proportion Change | Percentage Change

Jan | 1000 | | |
Feb | 1200 | 200 | 0.20 | 20

Step 5: Format the percentage cell

To make the percentage value easier to read, format the cell to display it as a percentage with desired decimal places. Right-click on the cell and select “Format Cells.” In the Format Cells dialog box, choose “Percentage” from the Category list and adjust decimal places if necessary. Click “OK” to apply changes.

Now your final result should look like this:

Month | Sales Revenue | Difference | Proportion Change | Percentage Change

Jan | 1000 | | |
Feb | 1200 | 200 | 0.20 | 20%

And there you have it! You’ve successfully calculated the percentage increase or decrease between two values in Excel. By following these simple steps, you can easily track changes over time and make data-driven decisions across various use cases.