# How to fix #DIV/0! in a percent change formula

Handle a starting value of 0 separately: =IF(B2=0,"New",(C2-B2)/B2).

**Excel:** `=IF(B2=0,"New",(C2-B2)/B2)` (Every current version)

**Google Sheets:** the same formula works.

## Example

Sample data (row 1 is the header):

| A | B | C | D |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Product | Last year | This year | Change |
| Lamp | 12000 | 13800 |  |
| Chair | 0 | 4200 |  |
| Desk | 8500 | 7650 |  |
| Webcam | 3000 | 3300 |  |
| Mouse | 2500 | 0 |  |

Formula in D2, filled to D6: `=IF(B2=0,"New",(C2-B2)/B2)`

Result: 15.0%; New; -10.0%; 10.0%; -100.0%

## How it works

Percent change divides by the old value. The chair had no sales last year, so the formula divides by 0 and returns #DIV/0!. Growth from zero has no meaningful percentage, so IF labels it "New" and calculates the rest as usual.

## Other ways

- `=IFERROR((C2-B2)/B2,"New")`: The same result, but it would also hide errors you didn't expect.
- `=IF(B2=0,"",C2/B2-1)`: C2/B2-1 is the same percent change; this version leaves new products blank. (Chair is blank instead of "New".)

## Common mistakes

- Don't show 100% for growth from zero; it suggests the value doubled.
- A blank last-year cell counts as 0 and triggers the same error.

## Questions

**What about a drop to zero?**

That works: the mouse shows -100%.

**How do I handle a negative starting value?**

Divide by its absolute value: `=(C2-B2)/ABS(B2)`, so going from a loss to a profit shows as growth.

Every formula and result on this page was checked by running it in the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine on 2026-10-30.

Source: https://spreadsheetpractice.com/formulas/percent-change-div0-error