How to calculate the percentage of a total in Excel
Formula (Excel and Google Sheets)
=B2/SUM($B$2:$B$7)Divide each value by the total, with the total locked: =B2/SUM($B$2:$B$7), or =B2/$B$8 if the total is in a cell.
- Result on the example
- one result per row in
C2, filled down toC7 - Works in
- Every current version
- Google Sheets
- Same formula
See it work
The formula is already in C2, filled down to C7. Change any input and the result updates, or edit the formula to experiment.
How it works
A share is part divided by whole. The whole, SUM($B$2:$B$7), is locked with $ so it stays the same in every row while B2 moves down. Formatted as percentages, the shares add up to 100%.
=B2/SUM($B$2:$B$7)Result0.455
B2$182,000The value in B2.
$B$2:$B$76 rows × 1 col: $182,000, $126,500, $64,500, $21,000, …A range: 6 cells in one column.
SUM($B$2:$B$7)400000SUM: Adds numbers and ranges. Skips text and blanks.- number1
$B$2:$B$76 rows × 1 col: $182,000, $126,500, $64,500, $21,000, …
- number1
B2/SUM($B$2:$B$7)0.455The / operator divides.
In Google Sheets
The same formula works in Google Sheets: =B2/SUM($B$2:$B$7). We ran it in Google Sheets mode on the same data and it returns the same results.
Other ways to do it
Each one was run on the same example sheet.
| Formula | Result | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| =B2/SUM(B$2:B$7) | 45.5%, 31.6%, 16.1%… | Locking only the rows is enough for a single column. |
Common mistakes
- Without $, filling down shrinks the total range and the shares stop adding to 100%.
- Rounded percentages can add to 99.9% or 100.1%. That's rounding, not an error.
Try it yourself
Same data, empty answer cell. Your formula is graded instantly, then re-checked on changed data, so a typed-in number won't pass.
Calculate the percentage of a total
C2, calculate each channel's share of total revenue and fill down to C7.Questions
How do I show the share of a category with several rows?
Use SUMIF for the part: =SUMIF(A2:A20,"Online",B2:B20)/SUM(B2:B20).
How do I get the percentage of a grand total in a pivot table?
Use Show Values As → % of Grand Total in the value field settings.
Checked by running on 2026-10-29: every formula and result on this page was calculated by the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine, in both Excel and Google Sheets modes.