'Increase In' or 'Increase Of'? Which One Is Correct? | Mastering Grammar

(Last Updated: 22 August 2024)

Increase In or Increase Of: Which One Is Correct?

Use increase in when you want to talk about what is increasing:

✅ The increase in production results in an increase in employment.
❌ The increase of production results in an increase of employment.

✅ The increase in employment will prompt people to buy more.
❌ The increase of employment will prompt people to buy more.

✅ There has been an increase in the amount of rubbish being produced.
❌ There has been an increase of the amount of rubbish being produced.

Use increase of with a percentage or number when you want to talk about the amount or size of an increase:

✅ We expect a price increase of 3% this year.
❌ We expect a price increase in 3% this year.

✅ The workers called for a wage increase of 5%.
❌ The workers called for a wage increase in 5%.

✅ There has been an increase of 100,000 people in the population of Hong Kong.
❌ There has been an increase in 100,000 people in the population of Hong Kong.

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Examples from the Media

Nina Skero, the consultancy's chief executive, said that while an increase in the national minimum wage will have raised the incomes of many low-paid workers, the data showed many others were not able to benefit. —The Guardian (2022)

Biden's health officials warn of a substantial increase in coronavirus cases. —The New York Times (2022)

In Toronto, average monthly rent for condos in June was $2,748, an increase of 19 per cent year-over-year, the report adds. —Toronto Star (2022)

The ODT's average daily readership is 107,000, an increase of 16,000 people a day on the corresponding period last year, according to Nielsen. —Otago Daily Times (2021)

Practice

Choose the correct preposition to complete each sentence.

1. We saw a population increase in/of about 3% last year.

2. Shorter working hours resulted in a massive increase in/of productivity.

3. There has been a sharp increase in/of homeless people over the past 12 months.

4. We are deeply concerned about the increase in/of the crime rate.

5. We've had an increase in/of around 10% in our sales.

Answer Key

1. of    2. in    3. in    4. in    5. of

Recommended Further Reading

'Decrease In' or 'Decrease Of'? Which One Is Correct?