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Key points

  • Calculations often give a decimal answer.
  • It can be useful to convert a decimal to a as a percentage is often easier to understand.
  • To do these conversions, you need to be able to multiply by 100
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How to convert a decimal to a percentage

  1. Multiply the decimal by 100 to get the percentage value.
  2. Write the percentage value and add the percentage symbol %

When the decimal has a value greater than one whole, the percentage will be greater than 100%. Eg the decimal 1∙2 converts to 120%

Examples

Image gallerySkip image gallerySlide 1 of 6, Example 1: Zero point four five., Convert 0∙45 to a percentage.

Questions

What is 0∙8 as a percentage?

What is 1∙6 as a percentage?

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Practise converting decimals to percentages

Try this quiz to practise converting decimals to percentages.

Quiz

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Real-world maths

Converting decimals to percentages can be a valuable skill for anyone who publishes or presents data. This could include scientists, journalists, retailers and engineers.

Someone holding a smartphone with a news article on the screen.
Image caption,
A journalist may use percentages instead of decimals in an article.

A journalist may investigate employment statistics and find that a company has given a pay rise to 0∙8 of its staff. The figure is expressed as a decimal (0∙8) and so the journalist needs to converts this to a percentage (80%) to make the information easier for their readers to understand. The published article states that: “80% of staff received a pay rise.

Someone holding a smartphone with a news article on the screen.
Image caption,
A journalist may use percentages instead of decimals in an article.
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Game - Divided Islands

Play the Divided Islands game! game

Using your maths skills, help to build bridges and bring light back to the islands in this free game from ˿ Bitesize.

Play the Divided Islands game!
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More on Fractions

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