How to Calculate Percent Change in Excel: The Shortcut Method

Calculating percent change in Excel is a common task for anyone who works with data. Whether you’re analyzing sales figures, stock prices, or any other type of data, knowing how to calculate percent change is essential. In this article, we’ll show you the shortcut method for calculating percent change in Excel.

What is Percent Change?


Percent change is a measure of the amount of change that has occurred over time. It is often used to compare two values, such as the sales figures for two different years. Percent change is calculated by taking the difference between the two values and dividing it by the original value. The result is then multiplied by 100 to get the percentage.

The Shortcut Method


The shortcut method for calculating percent change in Excel is to use the following formula:

=((new value/old value)-1)*100

Let’s break down this formula:

  • New value: This is the value that you want to compare to the old value. For example, if you’re comparing sales figures for two different years, the new value would be the sales figures for the most recent year.
  • Old value: This is the original value that you want to compare to the new value. Using the sales figures example, the old value would be the sales figures for the previous year.
  • Divide: Divide the new value by the old value.
  • Subtract: Subtract 1 from the result of the division.
  • Multiply: Multiply the result by 100 to get the percentage.

Example


Let’s say you want to calculate the percent change in sales figures from 2019 to 2020. The sales figures for 2019 were $100,000 and the sales figures for 2020 were $125,000. Using the formula above, we can calculate the percent change:

=((125000/100000)-1)*100

The result is 25%, which means that the sales figures increased by 25% from 2019 to 2020.

Conclusion


Calculating percent change in Excel is a simple task once you know the shortcut method. By using the formula above, you can quickly and easily calculate percent change for any type of data. Whether you’re analyzing sales figures, stock prices, or any other type of data, knowing how to calculate percent change is an essential skill for anyone who works with data.

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