To find a percentage of a number, divide the percentage by 100 and multiply by the number. So 15% of Rs 85,000 is 15 ÷ 100 × 85,000 = Rs 12,750. To find what percent one number is of another, divide the first by the second and multiply by 100: 732 out of 1100 is 66.55%.
Pick the question you have from the list above. The calculator shows each step, so you can copy the method into a notebook or an exam answer.
Percentage formulas
| Question | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| What is X% of Y? | X ÷ 100 × Y | 17% of 60,000 = 10,200 |
| X is what % of Y? | X ÷ Y × 100 | 450 of 1,250 = 36% |
| % increase or decrease | (new − old) ÷ old × 100 | 80,000 to 92,000 = 15% rise |
| Add X% | Y × (1 + X ÷ 100) | 50,000 + 25% = 62,500 |
| Take off X% | Y × (1 − X ÷ 100) | 120 − 20% = 96 |
| Original before X% was added | final ÷ (1 + X ÷ 100) | 2,360 ÷ 1.18 = 2,000 |
| % difference | gap ÷ average × 100 | 260 and 300 = 14.29% |
The word "percent" means "out of 100". That is why every formula either divides by 100 or multiplies by 100.
Percentage nikalne ka tarika
Many people search for this in Roman Urdu. The method is the same three steps on any phone calculator.
Percentage of marks
Divide marks obtained by total marks, then multiply by 100. A matric student with 732 out of 1100 has 732 ÷ 1100 × 100 = 66.55%. For several subjects with different totals, use the marks percentage calculator, which adds them up correctly.
Percentage of an amount
Multiply the amount by the percentage and divide by 100. A 17% deduction on Rs 60,000 is 60,000 × 17 ÷ 100 = Rs 10,200.
On a phone calculator
Type 60000 × 17 % and most phone calculators show 10,200 straight away. Some basic calculators handle the % key differently, so check the answer with the division method once.
Worked examples from daily life
Salary increase
Your pay rises from Rs 80,000 to Rs 92,000. The rise is 12,000. Divide by the old pay: 12,000 ÷ 80,000 × 100 = 15%. Always divide by the old figure, not the new one.
Pay after a raise
An employer announces a 12% raise on Rs 85,000. 12% of 85,000 is 10,200, so the new pay is 85,000 + 10,200 = Rs 95,200. The shortcut is 85,000 × 1.12.
Price fall
Suppose a bag of flour falls from Rs 2,400 to Rs 1,850. The drop is 550. 550 ÷ 2,400 × 100 = 22.92% cheaper.
Price with sales tax taken back out
A bill says Rs 2,360 including 18% sales tax. The price before tax is 2,360 ÷ 1.18 = Rs 2,000, and the tax is Rs 360. Taking 18% of 2,360 gives Rs 424.80, which is wrong. For tax on goods and services, use the sales tax calculator.
Mistakes that give the wrong answer
- Up and down are not equal. A price that rises 20% from 100 to 120, then falls 20%, ends at 96, not 100. The fall is worked on the bigger number.
- Percent is not percentage points. If a bank's rate moves from 10% to 12%, it has risen 2 percentage points, but 20% in relative terms.
- Discounts do not add. 50% off plus an extra 20% off is 60% off in total, not 70%. The discount calculator shows why.
- Reverse percentages need division. To remove a percentage that was added, divide by (1 + rate). Never subtract the same percentage from the final figure.
- Change and difference are different. Percentage change has a direction and uses the old value. Percentage difference compares two values with no before and after, so it uses their average.
Quick percentage table
Common percentages of common rupee amounts.
| Percentage | Of Rs 1,000 | Of Rs 25,000 | Of Rs 50,000 | Of Rs 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1% | 10 | 250 | 500 | 1,000 |
| 2.5% | 25 | 625 | 1,250 | 2,500 |
| 5% | 50 | 1,250 | 2,500 | 5,000 |
| 10% | 100 | 2,500 | 5,000 | 10,000 |
| 12.5% | 125 | 3,125 | 6,250 | 12,500 |
| 15% | 150 | 3,750 | 7,500 | 15,000 |
| 17% | 170 | 4,250 | 8,500 | 17,000 |
| 18% | 180 | 4,500 | 9,000 | 18,000 |
| 20% | 200 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 20,000 |
| 25% | 250 | 6,250 | 12,500 | 25,000 |
| 50% | 500 | 12,500 | 25,000 | 50,000 |
Percentage questions
How do I calculate percentage of marks?
Divide your marks obtained by the total marks and multiply by 100. For 850 out of 1100: 850 ÷ 1100 = 0.7727, and 0.7727 × 100 = 77.27%. Add up every subject first if you want an overall figure. Do not average the separate subject percentages when the subjects have different totals.
How do I calculate a percentage increase?
Subtract the old value from the new value, divide by the old value, and multiply by 100. From Rs 50,000 to Rs 56,000 the increase is 6,000 ÷ 50,000 × 100 = 12%. If the answer is negative, it is a decrease.
What is 20% of Rs 5,000?
Rs 1,000. Divide 20 by 100 to get 0.2, then multiply by 5,000. A quick mental method: 10% of any number is that number with one zero removed, so 10% of 5,000 is 500, and 20% is twice that.
How do I add 18% to a price?
Multiply the price by 1.18. Rs 2,000 plus 18% is 2,000 × 1.18 = Rs 2,360. To go back from the total to the price before the 18% was added, divide by 1.18 instead of taking 18% off.
How do I find what percentage one number is of another?
Divide the part by the whole and multiply by 100. If you have spent Rs 18,000 of a Rs 60,000 salary on rent, that is 18,000 ÷ 60,000 × 100 = 30%. Pick the mode "X is what % of Y" above to see the working.
What is the formula for percentage difference?
Take the gap between the two values, divide by their average, and multiply by 100. For 260 and 300 the gap is 40 and the average is 280, so the difference is 14.29%. Use it when neither value is the starting point, such as comparing two shops' prices.
Last reviewed 30 September 2026. Results are estimates; official notices always take precedence.