How to Calculate Percentage Change in Excel
Growth, variance, month-over-month — it's all one formula: (new − old) / old. The traps are the divide-by-zero and remembering to format it. Here's the formula, and a one-click column.
Last updated: August 2026
| Last | This | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 125 | → | +25.0% |
| 200 | 150 | → | -25.0% |
Method — the formula
- In a new column:
=(B2-A2)/A2(A = old, B = new). - Select the column, press
Ctrl+Shift+%, then add a decimal or two so 0.125 reads as 12.5%. - Guard against a zero baseline:
=IF(A2=0, "", (B2-A2)/A2), or you'll get#DIV/0!.
For month-over-month down a column, compare each row to the one above: =(B3-B2)/B2.
The 1-click way — Tellsheet
Percent Change adds a ready-formatted % change column. Choose two columns (old → new — budget vs actual, this year vs last) or each row vs the one above (month-over-month). It skips the divide-by-zero (blank when the baseline is 0 or non-numeric), writes a signed value like +12.5% to your chosen decimals, and needs no formatting afterwards. Pairs with Group & Summarize and Round Numbers.
Frequently asked questions
What's the percentage-change formula?
=(B2-A2)/A2 formatted as a percentage. Tellsheet's Percent Change applies and formats it for a whole column.
How do I compare two columns?
Old and new columns with =(B2-A2)/A2, or Percent Change's two-column mode.
How do I do month-over-month?
Compare each row to the previous: =(B3-B2)/B2, or Percent Change's "row vs the one above" mode.
Why do I get #DIV/0!?
The old value is zero — percentage change is undefined. Percent Change leaves those blank automatically.
Related Excel guides
Add a % change column in one click
Percent Change computes growth or variance — between columns or row over row — formatted and ready, inside Excel.
Get Tellsheet free See pricing