JavaScript Arithmetic Operators are the operator that operate upon the numerical values and return a numerical value.

Addition (+) Operator

The addition operator takes two numerical operands and gives their numerical sum. It also concatenates two strings or numbers.

// Number + Number => Addition 
let x = 1 + 2;
console.log( x );

// Number + String => Concatenation
let y =  5 + "hello"; 
console.log( y );

// Number + Number => Addition 

let x = 1 + 2;

console.log( x );

​

// Number + String => Concatenation

let y =  5 + "hello"; 

console.log( y );

3
5hello

Subtraction (-) Operator

The subtraction operator gives the difference between two operands in the form of numerical value.

// Number - Number => Subtraction 
let x = 10 - 7;
console.log( x );

let y = "Hello" - 1; 
console.log( y );

// Number - Number => Subtraction 

let x = 10 - 7;

console.log( x );

​

let y = "Hello" - 1; 

console.log( y );

3
NaN

Multiplication (*) Operator

The multiplication operator gives the product of operands where one operand is a multiplicand and another is multiplier.

// Number * Number => Multiplication
let x = 3 * 3;
let y = -4 * 4; 
console.log(x);
console.log(y);

let a = Infinity * 0;
let b = Infinity * Infinity;
console.log(a);
console.log(b);
let z = 'hi' * 2; 
console.log(z);

// Number * Number => Multiplication

let x = 3 * 3;

let y = -4 * 4; 

console.log(x);

console.log(y);

​

let a = Infinity * 0;

let b = Infinity * Infinity;

console.log(a);

console.log(b);

let z = 'hi' * 2; 

console.log(z);

9
-16
NaN
Infinity
NaN

Division (/) Operator

The division operator provides the quotient of its operands where the right operand is the divisor and the left operand is the dividend.

// Number / Number => Division
let x = 5 / 2;
let y = 1.0 / 2.0;
console.log(x);
console.log(y);

let a = 3.0 / 0;
let b = 4.0 / 0.0;
console.log(a);
console.log(b);
let z = 2.0 / -0.0;
console.log(z);

// Number / Number => Division

let x = 5 / 2;

let y = 1.0 / 2.0;

console.log(x);

console.log(y);

​

let a = 3.0 / 0;

let b = 4.0 / 0.0;

console.log(a);

console.log(b);

let z = 2.0 / -0.0;

console.log(z);

2.5
0.5
Infinity
Infinity
-Infinity

Modulus (%) Operator

The modulus operator returns the remainder left over when a dividend is divided by a divisor. The modulus operator is also known as the remainder operator. It takes the sign of the dividend.

// Number % Number => Modulus of the number
let x = 9 % 5;
let y = -12 % 5;
let z = 1 % -2;
let a = 5.5 % 2;
let b = -4 % 2;
let c = NaN % 2;

console.log(x);
console.log(y);
console.log(z);
console.log(a);
console.log(b);
console.log(c);

// Number % Number => Modulus of the number

let x = 9 % 5;

let y = -12 % 5;

let z = 1 % -2;

let a = 5.5 % 2;

let b = -4 % 2;

let c = NaN % 2;

​

console.log(x);

console.log(y);

console.log(z);

console.log(a);

console.log(b);

console.log(c);

4
-2
1
1.5
-0
NaN

Exponentiation (**) Operator

The exponentiation operator gives the result of raising the first operand to the power of the second operand. The exponentiation operator is right-associative. 

In JavaScript, it is not possible to write an ambiguous exponentiation expression i.e. you cannot put an unary operator (+ / – / ~ / ! / delete / void) immediately before the base number.

// Number ** Number => Exponential of the number

// let x = -4 ** 2 // This is an incorrect expression
let y = -(4 ** 2);
let z = 2 ** 5;
let a = 3 ** 3;
let b = 3 ** 2.5; 
let c = 10 ** -2;
let d = 2 ** 3 ** 2; 
let e = NaN ** 2;

console.log(y);
console.log(z);
console.log(a);
console.log(b);
console.log(c);
console.log(d);
console.log(e);

// Number ** Number => Exponential of the number

​

// let x = -4 ** 2 // This is an incorrect expression

let y = -(4 ** 2);

let z = 2 ** 5;

let a = 3 ** 3;

let b = 3 ** 2.5; 

let c = 10 ** -2;

let d = 2 ** 3 ** 2; 

let e = NaN ** 2;

​

console.log(y);

console.log(z);

console.log(a);

console.log(b);

console.log(c);

console.log(d);

console.log(e);

-16
32
27
15.588457268119896
0.01
512
NaN

Increment (++) Operator

The increment operator increments (adds one to) its operand and returns a value.

• If used postfix with the operator after the operand (for example, x++), then it increments and returns the value before incrementing.
• If used prefix with the operator before the operand (for example, ++x), then it increments and returns the value after incrementing.

// Postfix 
let a = 2;
b = a++; // b = 2, a = 3

// Prefix
let x = 5;
y = ++x; // x = 6, y = 6

console.log(a);
console.log(b);
console.log(x);
console.log(y);

// Postfix 

let a = 2;

b = a++; // b = 2, a = 3

​

// Prefix

let x = 5;

y = ++x; // x = 6, y = 6

​

console.log(a);

console.log(b);

console.log(x);

console.log(y);

3
2
6
6

Decrement (- -) Operator

The decrement operator decrements (subtracts one from) its operand and returns a value.

• If used postfix, with operator after operand (for example, x–), then it decrements and returns the value before decrementing.
• If used prefix, with the operator before the operand (for example, –x), then it decrements and returns the value after decrementing.

// Prefix
let a = 2;
b = --a; 

// Postfix 
let x = 3;
y = x--;
 
console.log(a);
console.log(b);
console.log(x);
console.log(y);

// Prefix

let a = 2;

b = --a; 

​

// Postfix 

let x = 3;

y = x--;

console.log(a);

console.log(b);

console.log(x);

console.log(y);

1
1
2
3

Unary Negation (-) Operator

This is a unary operator i.e. it operates on a single operand. It gives the negation of an operand.

let a = 3;
b = -a; 

// Unary negation operator
// can convert non-numbers
// into a number
let x = "3";
y = -x; 
  
console.log(a);
console.log(b);
console.log(x);
console.log(y);

let a = 3;

b = -a; 

​

// Unary negation operator

// can convert non-numbers

// into a number

let x = "3";

y = -x; 

console.log(a);

console.log(b);

console.log(x);

console.log(y);

3
-3
3
-3

Unary Plus (+) Operator

This is a way to convert a non-number into a number. Although unary negation (-) also can convert non-numbers, unary plus is the fastest and preferred way of converting something into a number, because it does not perform any other operations on the number.

let a =  +4;
let b = +'2';   
let c = +true;  
let x = +false; 
let y = +null;
     
console.log(a);
console.log(b);
console.log(c);
console.log(x);
console.log(y);

let a =  +4;

let b = +'2';   

let c = +true;  

let x = +false; 

let y = +null;

console.log(a);

console.log(b);

console.log(c);

console.log(x);

console.log(y);

4
2
1
0
0

Arithmetic Operators list

There are many arithmetic operators as shown in the table with the description.

We have a complete list of Javascript operators, to check those please go through this Javascript Operators Complete reference article.

We have a Cheat Sheet on Javascript where we covered all the important topics of Javascript to check those please go through Javascript Cheat Sheet-A Basic guide to JavaScript.