The result is a decimal value with percentage number format applied. However, since the price change is not in the table as a separate column, we need to add a step: Applying this approach to the worksheet as shown, the formula in cell E5, copied down, is: For each item in the table, Excel returns a calculated percentage.

Formatting percentages in Excel

In mathematics, a percentage is a number expressed as a fraction of 100. For example, 75% is read as “Seventy-five percent” and is equivalent to 75/100 or 0.75. Accordingly, the values in column E are decimal values. To display these numbers as a percentage with the percent sign (%), the Percentage number format has been applied to E5:E15.

Dave Bruns

Hi - I’m Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.