Notion: How to calculate a percentage

Notion is an incredibly flexible tool, whether you’re managing tasks, projects, or budgets. One common challenge users face is calculating percentages in a Notion database. Understanding how to set this up can make your workflows more efficient, accurate, and automated. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to calculate percentages in Notion.

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Step 1: Set up your database

Start by choosing the database you want to work with - it could be a task tracker, a project database or a budget sheet.

1. Create a new database: Start by creating a table database by clicking the "Table" option in the "New" menu. You can choose to create a full-page table or an inline table, depending on your needs.

2. Add your columns: Typically, you need at least two numeric columns. For example:

   • Current

   • Goal

Step 2: Input your data

Enter your numbers into the relevant columns. For example, if tracking income goal progress:

• Current: Enter the current amount of money in a bank account.

• Goal: Enter the goal amount of desired money saved for that bank account.

Step 3: Add a formula column

To calculate the percentage, you’ll need to add a new column that uses a formula.

1. Click the + to add a new column.

2. Name it % Completed (like our example above or something similar).

3. Set the property type to Formula.

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Step 4: Write the Percentage Formula

Option 1 - Basic Percentage formula

(prop("Current") / prop("Goal")) * 100

This divides completed tasks by total tasks and multiplies by 100.

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Option 2: Using Notion’s Percent Format

(prop("Current") / prop("Goal"))

Then set the Number Format of the column to Percent.

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Option 3: Prevent Division by Zero

if(prop("Current") == 0, 0, (prop("Goal") / prop("Current")) * 100)

This ensures the formula won’t break if a column has zero as a value. If it is, the percentage will automatically be set to zero, preventing a division-by-zero error.

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Option 4: Round the Result

round((prop("Current") / prop("Goal")) * 100)

Use this if you want a clean number without decimals.

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Step 5: Optional - Column Percentage

Notion also lets you automatically calculate column totals, such as the percentage of tasks completed across multiple entries.

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