1 in a preformatted cell, you’ll see 10% appear in the cell. Numbers equal to and larger than 1 are converted to percentages by default numbers smaller than 1 that are not preceded with a zero are multiplied by 100 to convert them to percentages. Again, Excel always uses the underlying value to perform calculations.įormat empty cells-Excel behaves differently when you pre-format empty cells with percentage formatting and then enter numbers. To see the true percentage in the cell, rather than a rounded version, increase the decimal places. Rounding issues-Sometimes what you see in a cell (for example 10%) doesn’t match the number you expected to see (such as 9.75%). You can also just type the number in its decimal form directly into the cell-that is, type 0.1 and then apply the percentage format. If you then format that decimal as a percentage, the number will be displayed as 10%, as you‘d expect.

To get around this, you can calculate your numbers as percentages first.įor example, if you type the formula =10/100 in cell A2, Excel will display the result as 0.1. So for example, if you type 10 into cell A2 and then apply the percentage number format, Excel will multiply your number by 100 to show it as a percentage (remember that 1% is one part of one hundred), so you’ll see 1000% displayed in the cell, not 10%. Here are a few things to keep in mind when formatting percentages:įormat existing values-When you apply percentage formatting to a cell that already has a number in it, Excel multiplies that number by 100 and adds the % sign at the end.

To double-check the underlying value, select the cell, press Ctrl + 1, and look in the Sample box on the General category. Excel always performs calculations on that underlying value, which is a decimal (0.1). So, even if you’ve used number formatting to display something as a percentage (10%), that’s just what it is-formatting or a symbolic representation of the underlying value.

In Excel, the underlying value is always stored in decimal form. (See Rounding issues below for more information.) You can then increase (or decrease) the decimal place as needed. Simply select the cells to format, and then click the Percent Style (%) button in the Number group on the ribbon’s Home tab. To show a number as a percent in Excel, you need to apply the Percentage format to the cells. First, you format the cell to indicate the value is a percent, and then you build the percent formula in a cell. Calculating a percentage in Excel is an easy two-step process. For example, you can use Excel to calculate the percentage of correct answers on a test, discount prices using various percent assumptions, or percent change between two values. ignore a spelling mistake? how about suck my ****.Updated 12/16/22: Stay up to date on the latest from Excel and download Excel templates today.Įxcel provides you with different ways to calculate percentages. nothing about it works and it’s still the standard. “gotta respect the longevity of microsoft word. Here’s some illustrative humor lifted from social media that sums it up nicely (regarding Microsoft Word): As measured by their unfair share of the PC “wallet” over the years, MS has taken oh so much and often given the minimum. Just as Intel needs AMD and Nvidia, Microsoft needs competition and regretfully Google seems to have ceded the enterprise to them. Microsoft’s long history (OS, docs, Azure, et al) can be summed up in two words: Copycat Monopolist. One example that I do recall (documented various places) is the handling of simple Boolean algebra within Conditional Formatting, where unexpected results can require “tricking” it by re-ordering and tweaking multiple conditions. Over two punishing days I had encountered a “Dirty Dozen” but was scrambling because of a deadline and…you know…assuming that fundamental features would/should always work. I must say that over the past 2-1/2 years of intense usage I have been mortified at the bugs within Excel I wish I had catalogued the list though did not, as each time I thought “Well, this must be a singular but noteworthy exception”. This was particularly egregious as it was a simple (A-B)/B calculation, and I watched it (over and over) calculating the wrong number as I stepped through the “Evaluate Formula” debugging tool while looking at my (annoyingly created) replicated test subset file and shaking my head in wonder and disgust. ** Yes, Excel can absolutely and overtly calculate incorrectly…and Joe’s solution of deleting and re-entering the formula fixed the issue for me. Though this thread is 4-1/2 years old, I have to thank Joe and this site as well as (re)alert others:

Excel subtracting percentages formula