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Lesson 6

Percentage Decrease

Calculate percentage decreases and discounts.

  • intermediate

Formula

% Decrease = ((Original - New) ÷ Original) × 100

📚 Percentage Decrease

A percentage decrease (or discount) tells you how much a value has dropped compared to its original amount.

% Decrease = ((Original - New) ÷ Original) × 100

Example: Price dropped from $80 to $60

1
Find the difference: 80 - 60 = 20
2
Divide by original: 20 ÷ 80 = 0.25
3
Multiply by 100: 0.25 × 100 = 25% decrease

💡 Pro Tip: Finding Sale Price

If something is 30% off, you pay 70% of the original price.

Sale Price = Original × (100 - Discount%) ÷ 100

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate a percentage decrease?

Divide the decrease by the original value and multiply by 100: from 80 to 60 is 20 ÷ 80 × 100 = 25%.

How do I subtract a percentage from a number?

Multiply by 1 minus the percentage as a decimal: 30% off $90 is $90 × 0.70 = $63.

Practice

Work each one out, then check yourself.

  1. A $120 jacket is now $90. What's the percentage discount?

    Hint: Find the discount amount ($30), divide by original ($120), multiply by 100

    Show answer

    25

Final Quiz

0/3

Test what you learned. Pick the correct answer for each question.

  1. A $80 jacket is 25% off. Discount price?

    A $80 jacket is 25% off. Discount price?
  2. A laptop dropped from $1,200 to $900. Percentage decrease?

    A laptop dropped from $1,200 to $900. Percentage decrease?
  3. Which discount saves more on a $200 item: 30% off, or $50 off?

    Which discount saves more on a $200 item: 30% off, or $50 off?