If you’re working with numbers in a spreadsheet, it’s essential to know how to calculate percentages in Excel. Whether you’re determining discounts, growth rates, or proportions, the Excel percentage formula allows you to compute results quickly and accurately. This guide covers simple percentage calculations using formulas, formatting tips, and keyboard shortcuts—across Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu.
📊 Why Use Percentage Formulas in Excel?
Percentage formulas in Excel are used to:
- Calculate percentage increases or decreases
- Find what percentage one number is of another
- Work with financial data, grades, surveys, and KPIs
- Convert decimals into percentages automatically
With the right formula and formatting, Excel does the heavy lifting for you.
✅ Basic Excel Percentage Formulas
✔️ Formula to Calculate a Percentage of a Value
=Value * Percentage
Example: 20% of 500
=500 * 20%
Or
=500 * 0.2
✔️ Formula to Find What Percent One Number Is of Another
=Part / Total
Example: What percent is 75 of 300?
=75 / 300
Then format the result as a percentage.
✔️ Formula for Percentage Change
=(New - Old) / Old
Example: From 200 to 250
=(250 - 200) / 200
🎯 How to Format as Percentage
After entering your formula:
- Select the cell or range
- Use shortcut or menu to format as percentage
⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts for Percentage Formatting
| Action | Windows Excel | macOS Excel | Ubuntu (LibreOffice Calc) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format as Percentage | Ctrl + Shift + % | Cmd + Shift + % | Ctrl + Shift + 5 |
| Insert formula | = (equal sign) | = (equal sign) | = (equal sign) |
| Confirm formula | Enter | Return | Enter |
📝 Tip: Use F2 to edit a formula in-place on all systems.
💡 Real-Life Examples
🛒 Calculate Discount Price
=Original_Price * (1 - Discount%)
=100 * (1 - 20%) → Result: 80
📈 Calculate Growth Rate
=(New_Value - Old_Value) / Old_Value
Then format the cell as percentage.
📚 Grade as a Percentage
=Score / Total_Possible
=85 / 100 → Result: 85%
🧠 Tips for Using Percentage Formulas in Excel
- Always use cell references, not just numbers:
=B2 / C2instead of=85 / 100 - Format decimals as percentages for clarity:
0.25→25%when formatted - Use absolute references (
$C$2) to fix denominators in formulas when copying
🛠️ How It Works on Ubuntu (LibreOffice Calc)
The same formulas apply:
=B2/C2for calculating percentage- Format cells with:
Ctrl + Shift + 5 → Applies percentage style
Or use menu: Format > Cells > Number > Percent
LibreOffice supports percentage formatting similar to Excel.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Excel show decimals instead of percentages?
Because the cell isn’t formatted. Use Ctrl + Shift + % (Windows/macOS) to apply percentage format.
Can I use percentages in charts?
Yes! Once calculated, Excel can show percentages in pie charts, bar charts, and more.
Can I calculate percentage difference between two cells?
Yes: =(B2 - A2)/A2, then format as a percentage.
Is there a shortcut for inserting percentage symbols?
No special shortcut, but formatting takes care of that automatically.
✅ Conclusion
Knowing how to use the Excel percentage formula is a fundamental spreadsheet skill. Whether you’re calculating totals, comparing values, or analyzing financial data, Excel’s formulas and formatting tools make it easy. And with platform-specific shortcuts for Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu, you can work faster and more efficiently than ever.
Complete List of Windows Keyboard Shortcuts
If you need help for Windows, you can find a whole list of all keyboard shortcuts here.
https://keyboard-shortcuts.org/
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