Percentages

A percentage is a special way to show a part of a whole. The whole is always 100. The word percent means out of one hundred. We use the symbol % to show a percentage. For example, 50% means 50 out of 100, or one half.

How Percentages Work

If you get 9 out of 10 questions right on a test, that is the same as 90 out of 100, or 90%. Percentages make it easy to compare numbers. You can see which score is better even if the tests had different numbers of questions. 100% means you got everything right.

A shop sign shows a big percent off during a sale.
A shop sign shows a big percent off during a sale. (Mmitchell10 / Wikimedia Commons)

Percentages in Daily Life

You see percentages everywhere. Stores show discounts like 25% off. Weather reports say there is a 60% chance of rain. Batteries show how full they are with percentages. Learning percentages helps you understand the world around you.

Fun Facts

  • The word percent comes from the Latin phrase per centum, meaning by the hundred.
  • A percentage can be more than 100%, like when something doubles to 200%.
  • Percentages, decimals, and fractions are just different ways to show the same number.

Did You Know?

Half of something is 50%, a quarter is 25%, and a whole is 100%.