How to Work Out a Percentage Rise in Two Numbers

You can use percentage rise to measure growth between periods.

The percentage rise between two numbers shows the percentage of the first number by which the first number increased to become the larger second number. The second number represents the result of the first number's growth. You can use percentage rise to measure the growth in a wide range of financial data, such as an investment's percentage growth, or the growth in economic numbers, such as a country's gross domestic product. The percentage rise relates the size of the growth to the first number, which can help you compare the rise of different sets of numbers.

Instructions

1. Determine two numbers for which you want to work out a percentage rise. The second number must be greater than the first. For example, calculate the percentage rise between a company's shareholders' equity of $5 million in one accounting period and $6 million in the next accounting period.

2. Subtract the first number from the second number. For example, subtract $5 million from $6 million, which equals $1 million.

3. Divide your result by the first number. For example, divide $1 million by $5 million, which equals 0.2.

4. Multiply your result by 100 to calculate the percentage rise between the two numbers. For example, multiply 0.2 by 100, which equals 20 percent. This means the company's $5 million in shareholders' equity in one accounting period grew 20 percent to become $6 million in the next accounting period.

References

• North Carolina State University: Practical No. 2 Help Sheet
• Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi; Basic Mathematical Notes for Macroeconomics; Jim Lee