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How to calculate a percentage of a percentage in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:PercentagesExcel & Google Sheets
=A2*B2✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Pct_A | Pct_B | Result |
| 0.2 | 0.15 | |
| 0.5 | 0.1 | |
| 0.25 | 0.4 |
=A2*B2→0.03
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Step by step
- 1Enter the first percentage in A2 and the second in B2 — format both cells as Percentage so 0.2 displays as 20%.
- 2In C2, type =A2*B2 — if both cells are formatted as percentages (stored as decimals), the result is the compound percentage.
- 3If you've entered numbers like 20 and 15 (not formatted as %), divide by 100 first: =(A2/100)*(B2/100) or =A2*B2/10000.
- 4Format the result cell as Percentage to display it as a percentage rather than a decimal.
Tips
- A percentage of a percentage is NOT the same as adding percentages. 20% of 15% = 3%, not 35%. Always multiply the decimal forms: 0.20 × 0.15 = 0.03.
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Frequently asked
What's the difference between 20% off of 15% and 20% + 15%?
20% of 15% = 0.20 × 0.15 = 3% (compound). Adding gives 35%. They mean completely different things — use multiplication for compound percentage calculations.
How do I calculate a tax on a discounted price using percentages?
Apply sequentially: =original_price*(1-discount%)*(1+tax%) — e.g., $100 with 20% off and 10% tax = 100*(1-0.2)*(1+0.1) = $88.
More on Percentages
See all →How-to
How to calculate a percentage
Work out what percentage one number is of another with a simple division, then format the result as a percent. Same in Excel and Google Sheets.
Error fixFix Wrong %
Fix wrong percentage results in Excel and Google Sheets — caused by conflating the percentage symbol with the decimal value or double-applying the % format.
How-toHow to calculate percentage change
Find the percentage increase or decrease between two numbers with (new − old) / old, then format as a percent. Works in Excel and Sheets.
How-toHow to add a percentage to a number
Increase a number by a percentage with number × (1 + rate) — handy for tax, markup, or raises. Same in both apps.
How-toHow to calculate a cumulative percentage
Use a running SUM divided by the total SUM to build a cumulative percentage column in Excel or Google Sheets.
How-toHow to calculate attendance percentage
Divide attended sessions by total sessions and multiply by 100 to get attendance percentage in Excel or Google Sheets.