Decimal to percentage calculator
A decimal becomes a percentage when you multiply it by 100, which is the same as sliding the point two places to the right. The boxes above do it in either direction.
12 × 12 = 144
Adding 12 to itself 12 times gives the same answer.
Both directions in one line
Decimal to percentage: × 100. 0.375 becomes 37.5%. Percentage to decimal: ÷ 100. 37.5% becomes 0.375. Nothing else changes, and the two are the same quantity written two ways.
| Decimal | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 0.01 | 1% |
| 0.05 | 5% |
| 0.125 | 12.5% |
| 0.25 | 25% |
| 0.5 | 50% |
| 0.75 | 75% |
| 1 | 100% |
| 1.4 | 140% |
Above 100% is not an error
Any decimal larger than 1 converts to more than 100%. A growth factor of 1.4 is 140% of the starting figure, which is a 40% increase — the percentage of the total and the percentage of change are different questions, and mixing them is where most confusion starts.
Starting from a fraction
Divide the top by the bottom to get the decimal, then multiply by 100. 3/8 is 3 ÷ 8 = 0.375, so 37.5%. Do the division first every time; there is no shortcut that skips it.
When the answer looks wrong
- Off by a factor of 100. You converted in the direction you did not intend. 0.5 is 50%, while 50 is 5000%.
- A percentage that was already a percentage. Multiplying 37.5% by 100 again gives 3750%.
- Rounding too early. Convert first, round last, especially with repeating decimals: 1/3 is 33.33%, not 33%.
For the keystrokes behind each of these, see how to find a percentage on a calculator. To undo a percentage change rather than convert one, use the reverse percentage calculator, or browse the calculators.