Math Word Problems – Percentages (#1 to #10)

Math word problems focused on percentages are ideal for developing math, logical thinking and problem solving skills. The practical stories of these problems help users better understand common situations where percentages occur, such as discounts, interest, or statistics. Additionally, combining word problems with an online percentage calculator allows users to better understand and apply math concepts in practice.

Book party discount

Story

Marek went to a book party where a 25% discount was announced on all books. The book he chose originally cost $400. How much will Marek save and what will he pay after the discount?


Solution to the problem

  • Calculate what is 25% of $400.
  • Subtract this amount from the original price to find the final price.

    • Formula

  • Discount = Original price × Discount (%) / 100
  • Final price = Original price – Discount

    • Calculation

  • Discount = 400 × 25 / 100 = $100
  • Final price = 400 – 100 = $300

    • Therefore, Marek saves $100 and will pay $300.

    Increasing the number of website visitors

    Story

    The company’s website had 2,000 visitors last month. This month, the number of visitors increased by 30%. How many visitors did the website have this month?


    Solution to the problem

  • Calculate what is 30% of 2,000.
  • Add this value to the original number of visitors to get the total for this month.

    • Formula

  • Increase = Original Number × Increase (%) / 100
  • Total Number = Original Number + Increase

    • Calculation

  • Increase = 2,000 × 30 / 100 = $600
  • Total Number = 2,000 + 600 = 2,600

    • Therefore, the website had 2,600 visitors this month.

    Weight gain after the holidays

    Story

    Lukas weighed 80 kg before Christmas. After the holidays, indulging in sweets and Christmas treats, he found that his weight increased by 5%. How much does Lukas weigh after the holidays?


    Solution to the problem

  • Calculate what is 5% of 80 kg.
  • Add this value to Lukas’s original weight to get his new weight.

    • Formula

  • Weight increase = Original weight × Increase (%) / 100
  • New weight = Original weight + Weight increase

    • Calculation

  • Weight increase = 80 × 5 / 100 = 4 kg
  • New weight = 80 + 4 = 84 kg

    • Therefore, Lukas weighs 84 kg after the holidays.

    Increase in sales in the cafe

    Story

    The café “At Good Coffee” introduced a new type of coffee that became a hit. As a result, coffee sales increased by 20% last month. If the café sold coffee for $15,000 the previous month, how much did coffee sales amount to this month?


    Solution to the problem

  • Calculate what is 20% of $15,000.
  • Add this value to the original sales to find the total sales for this month.

    • Formula

  • Sales Increase = Original Sales × Increase (%) / 100
  • Total Sales = Original Sales + Sales Increase

    • Calculation

  • Sales Increase = $15,000 × 20 / 100 = $3,000
  • Total Sales = $15,000 + $3,000 = $18,000

    • Therefore, the café made $18,000 from coffee sales this month.

    Savings on the electricity bill

    Story

    The Novák family found that by using energy-efficient light bulbs, their monthly electricity bill decreased by 15%. If they were paying $2,000 per month before the change, how much are they paying for electricity now?


    Solution to the problem

  • Calculate what is 15% of $2,000.
  • Subtract this amount from the original bill to find the new amount.

    • Formula

  • Savings = Original Bill × Reduction (%) / 100
  • New Bill = Original Bill – Savings

    • Calculation

  • Savings = $2,000 × 15 / 100 = $300
  • New Bill = $2,000 – $300 = $1,700

    • Therefore, the Novák family is now paying $1,700 for electricity.

    Clothing sale

    Story

    In the week after New Year’s, a clothing store decided to increase its sales by offering a 10% discount on all its products. If a customer selected clothes for a total price of $2,500, how much will they save and what will they pay after the discount is applied?


    Solution to the problem

  • Calculate what is 10% of $2,500.
  • Subtract this amount from the original price to find the final price.

    • Formula

  • Discount = Original Price × Discount (%) / 100
  • Final Price = Original Price – Discount

    • Calculation

  • Discount = $2,500 × 10 / 100 = $250
  • Final Price = $2,500 – $250 = $2,250

    • Therefore, the customer saves $250 and will pay $2,250.

    Increase in real estate prices

    Story

    In the last two years, property prices in the city of Vranov have risen by 18%. If the average house was valued at $3,200,000 two years ago, what is its average price now?


    Solution to the problem

  • Calculate what is 18% of $3,200,000.
  • Add this value to the original price of the house to find its current price.

    • Formula

  • Price Increase = Original Price × Increase (%) / 100
  • Current Price = Original Price + Price Increase

    • Calculation

  • Price Increase = $3,200,000 × 18 / 100 = $576,000
  • Current Price = $3,200,000 + $576,000 = $3,776,000

    • The average house price in the city of Vranov is now $3,776,000.

    Original price after discount

    Story

    Martina chose a dress in a store that now costs $1,800 after applying a 10% discount. How much was the dress originally before the discount?


    Solution to the problem

  • Calculate the original price of the dress before applying the 10% discount.

    • Formula

  • Original Price = Price after discount / (1 – Discount (%)/100)

    • Calculation

  • Original Price = $1,800 / (1 – 10/100) = $1,800 / 0.9 = $2,000

    • The original price of the dress before the discount was $2,000.

    Used car price reduction

    Story

    An auto dealer reduced the price of a used car by 15% as part of a special promotion. After the reduction, the car cost $255,000. What was the original price of the car before the discount?


    Solution to the problem

  • Calculate the original price of the car before applying the 15% discount.

    • Formula

  • Original Price = Price after discount / (1 – Discount (%)/100)

    • Calculation

  • Original Price = $255,000 / (1 – 15/100) = $255,000 / 0.85 = $300,000

    • The original price of the used car before the discount was $300,000.

    Percentage of book readers

    Story

    A survey conducted in the city library found that out of 1,200 library visitors, 360 are regular readers. What percentage of the total number of visitors do regular readers constitute?


    Solution to the problem

  • Calculate the percentage of regular readers out of the total number of visitors.

    • Formula

  • Percentage = (Number of regular readers / Total number of visitors) × 100

    • Calculation

  • Percentage = (360 / 1,200) × 100 = 30%

    • Regular readers constitute 30% of the total number of library visitors.

    Info: Would you like more word problems or have a suggestion for improvement? Let us know about it. You can also share us and talk about it with your friends.