Calculating one percent of an amount
Working out 1% of an amount is a handy skill that pops up more often than you’d think — whether you’re figuring out a small discount, estimating interest, or just splitting things fairly. It’s a simple step that helps build confidence with percentages in everyday life. Jump to the questions
Practise now
Calculate 1% of the given amounts.
Topic guide
What this worksheet practises
This worksheet provides practice on finding 1% of an amount. Finding 1% is one of the most powerful mental maths tools you can learn. Once you can confidently find 1%, you can use it as a building block to calculate almost any other percentage, such as 3%, 7%, or 21%.
Key method
Percent means "out of 100". Therefore, 1% literally means 1 part out of 100.
- To find 1% of any number, you simply divide that number by 100.
- When dividing by 100, the digits move two places to the right across the place value columns.
- If there are zeroes at the end of a whole number, you can simply remove two zeroes.
- If there are no zeroes, you will need to add a decimal point.
Worked example
Find 1% of 450.
Step 1: Identify the calculation needed.
450 ÷ 100
Step 2: Move the digits two places to the right.
The 4 in the hundreds column moves to the units column.
The 5 in the tens column moves to the tenths column.
450 ÷ 100 = 4.5
The answer is 4.5.
Common mistakes to avoid
A frequent mistake is dividing by 10 instead of 100, which finds 10% rather than 1%. Ensure you move the digits two places, not just one. Another common error is misplacing the decimal point when the starting number already has a decimal, for example turning 2.5 into 0.25 instead of 0.025.
How to check your answer
If you multiply your 1% answer by 100, you should get back to your starting amount. If your answer was 4.5, 4.5 × 100 = 450. The check confirms the calculation is correct.