How to Convert Decimals to Percents

Never again worry about converting a decimal to a percentage.

Because exact formulas are sometimes difficult to remember, math conversions cause people to stumble or hesitate. Thankfully, converting decimals to percentages does not rely on one of these hard-to-remember formulas. In fact, changing a decimal to a percentage is quite easy. Always remember, though, that "percent" is another way of saying "per 100." Therefore, when you're converting a decimal to a percentage, you are stating how many parts per 100 that decimal represents.

Instructions

1. Look at the decimal. If your decimal is more than four digits in length, you should shorten it by rounding it up or down. For example, if the decimal is .352809, you can shorten it to just three decimal places. In this case, because the fourth digit (8), is greater than five, you must round the two up to a three. This will leave you with .353. If you want an extremely accurate percentage, you do not have to round up or down.

2. Move the decimal point two spaces to the right in order to convert the decimal to a percentage. For example, if you had the decimal .353, you would move the decimal point to the spot after the five. In this case, the percentage would be 35.3 percent. If you have a decimal with just one digit after the decimal point, such as 0.7, you will have to add a zero. Again, for example, you would add a zero after the seven in order to get 70 percent. Remember, all that's required when converting a decimal to a percentage is moving the decimal two spaces to the right.

3. Add a percentage sign ( % ) after the number once you've completed the conversion. This will ensure that anyone reading your converted decimal will understand that it is a percentage.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a whole number to the left of the decimal point, don't worry. Convert it the same way you normally would by moving the decimal point two spaces to the right. For example, if you had 2.45, you would come up with 245%.

References

• Math is Fun: Convert Decimal to Percent