Understanding Percentages in 2 Minutes

Why are percentages everywhere?

Whether it's for sales, a salary increase or calculating sales tax, percentages are part of our daily lives. Yet many people still make simple mistakes.

The magic formula

To calculate a percentage, the basic formula is simple:

(Partial Value / Total Value) × 100

For example, if you've eaten 2 slices of a pizza cut into 8: (2 / 8) * 100 = 25% of the pizza.

How to calculate a discount?

This is often where it gets tricky. If an item at $50 is on sale at -2050 × (1 - 0.20) =$40.

But don't worry, our calculator at the top of the page does this for you instantly!