Displaying Negative Percentages in Red

It's easy using Excel's built-in number formats to display negative values in red. What isn't so obvious is how to display negative percentages in red. This is because Excel doesn't provide a built-in format that addresses this situation.

There are two distinct ways you can display negative percentages in red. One way is to use a custom number format. Precise details on how you put together custom formats has been covered in other issues of ExcelTips, so here is the quick way you can get the desired results:

1. Select the cell (or cells) that may contain negative percentages.
2. Display the Format Cells dialog box. (In Excel 2007 display the Home tab of the ribbon and click the small icon at the lower-right corner of the Number group. In older versions of Excel choose Cells from the Format menu.)
3. If the Number tab is not displayed, select it.
4. In the Category list, choose Custom. The dialog box changes so you can enter a custom format. (Click here to see a related figure.)
5. In the Type box, enter the following: 0.00%;[Red]-0.00%
6. Click OK.

The format you specify in step 5 displays positive percentages with two decimal places and displays negative percentages in red with two decimal places. (You can modify the number of decimal places in the format, if necessary.)

The other way that you can display negative percentages in red is to use conditional formatting by following these steps if you are using Excel 2007:

1. Select the cell (or cells) that may contain negative percentages.
2. With the Home tab of the ribbon displayed, click the Conditional Formatting option in the Styles group. Excel displays a palette of options related to conditional formatting.
3. Choose New Rule. Excel displays the New Formatting Rule dialog box.
4. In the Select a Rule Type area at the top of the dialog box, choose Format Only Cells that Contain.
5. Using the left-most drop-down list in the criteria area, select Cell Value. (This option may already be selected, by default.)
6. Make sure the center drop-down list is Less Than. (Click here to see a related figure.)
7. In the box to the right of the second drop-down list, enter the numeral 0.
8. Click Format. Excel displays the Format Cells dialog box with the Font tab selected. (Click here to see a related figure.)
9. Use the Color drop-down list to choose the shade of red you want used for the negative percentages.
10. Click OK to close the Format Cells dialog.
11. Click OK to close the New Formatting Rule dialog.

If you are using an older version of Excel, follow these steps instead:

1. Select the cell (or cells) that may contain negative percentages.
2. Choose Conditional Formatting from the Format menu. Excel displays the Conditional Formatting dialog box.
3. Leave the first drop-down list set to Cell Value Is.
4. Change the second drop-down list to Less Than.
5. In the box to the right of the second drop-down list, enter the numeral 0.
6. Click Format. Excel displays the Format Cells dialog box with the Font tab selected.
7. Use the Color drop-down list to choose the shade of red you want used for the negative percentages.
8. Click OK to close the Format Cells dialog.
9. Click OK to close the Conditional Formatting dialog.