Swift Arithmetic Operators

By Murat Bo · Updated Oct 17, 2026 · · Markdown

In Swift, arithmetic operators are used to perform basic mathematical operations on numeric types like Int, Double, and Float. Below, I’ll explain the core arithmetic operators in Swift, their functionality, and provide clear examples for each. I'll keep it concise yet comprehensive, focusing on the basics for beginners.

Arithmetic Operators in Swift

Swift supports the following arithmetic operators:

Addition (+)
Subtraction (-)
Multiplication (*)
Division (/)
Modulus (%)
Increment (+=) and Decrement (-=) (Compound Assignment)

Type Safety: Operators work only with compatible types (e.g., you can’t add an Int to a Double without explicit conversion).

1. Addition (`+`)

Adds two numbers or concatenates strings (though string concatenation is not arithmetic, it’s worth noting).

let a = 10
let b = 5
let sum = a + b
print(sum) // Output: 15

// Works with floating-point numbers
let x = 2.5
let y = 3.7
let result = x + y
print(result) // Output: 6.2

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

15
6.2

2. Subtraction (`-`)

Subtracts one number from another.

let c = 20
let d = 7
let difference = c - d
print(difference) // Output: 13

// Works with negative numbers
let p = 5.0
let q = 8.0
let result = p - q
print(result) // Output: -3.0

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

13
-3.0

3. Multiplication (`*`)

Multiplies two numbers.

let e = 6
let f = 4
let product = e * f
print(product) // Output: 24

// Works with floating-point numbers
let r = 2.5
let s = 3.0
let result = r * s
print(result) // Output: 7.5

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

24
7.5

4. Division (`/`)

Divides one number by another. For integers, division truncates to an integer (no decimal part). For floating-point numbers, it retains the decimal.

let g = 15
let h = 4
let quotient = g / h
print(quotient) // Output: 3 (integer division truncates)

// Floating-point division
let m = 15.0
let n = 4.0
let result = m / n
print(result) // Output: 3.75

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

3
3.75

Note: Division by zero will cause a runtime error in Swift, so ensure the denominator is non-zero.

5. Modulus (`%`)

Returns the remainder of division. Works only with integers in Swift.

let i = 17
let j = 5
let remainder = i % j
print(remainder) // Output: 2 (17 ÷ 5 = 3 remainder 2)

// Another example
let k = 10
let l = 3
print(k % l) // Output: 1

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

2
1

Note: Modulus does not work with Double or Float directly. For floating-point remainders, use the truncatingRemainder(dividingBy:) method:

let x = 10.5
let y = 3.0
let remainder = x.truncatingRemainder(dividingBy: y)
print(remainder) // Output: 1.5

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

1.5

6. Compound Assignment Operators (`+=`, `-=`, `*=`, `/=`, `%=`)

These combine an arithmetic operation with assignment, modifying a variable in place.

var number = 10
number += 5 // Equivalent to number = number + 5
print(number) // Output: 15

number -= 3 // Equivalent to number = number - 3
print(number) // Output: 12

number *= 2 // Equivalent to number = number * 2
print(number) // Output: 24

number /= 4 // Equivalent to number = number / 4
print(number) // Output: 6

number %= 5 // Equivalent to number = number % 5
print(number) // Output: 1

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

Key Points

Type Safety: You cannot mix types (e.g., Int and Double) without conversion. Use type casting like Double(a) or Int(x) when needed.

let intValue = 10
let doubleValue = 5.5
let result = Double(intValue) + doubleValue // Convert int to double
print(result) // Output: 15.5

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

15.5

Operator Precedence: Swift follows standard mathematical precedence (e.g., * and / before + and -). Use parentheses to override.

let result = 10 + 5 * 2
print(result) // Output: 20 (5 * 2 = 10, then 10 + 10)

let explicit = (10 + 5) * 2
print(explicit) // Output: 30 (10 + 5 = 15, then 15 * 2)

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

20
30

Overflow Handling: Swift’s arithmetic operators are safe by default and will throw an error on overflow (e.g., exceeding Int.max). Use overflow operators (&+, &-, &*) for wraparound behavior if needed.

var maxInt = Int.max
// maxInt += 1 // This would cause a runtime error
maxInt &+= 1 // Overflow wraps around
print(maxInt) // Output: Int.min (wraps to negative)

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

-9223372036854775808

Practical Example Combining Operators

Here’s a simple Swift program that uses multiple arithmetic operators to calculate the total cost of items with a discount:

let pricePerItem = 25.0
let quantity = 3
let discount = 10.0

// Calculate subtotal
let subtotal = pricePerItem * Double(quantity)
print("Subtotal: \(subtotal)") // Output: Subtotal: 75.0

// Apply discount
let total = subtotal - discount
print("Total after discount: \(total)") // Output: Total after discount: 65.0

// Calculate items per dollar
let itemsPerDollar = Double(quantity) / total
print("Items per dollar: \(itemsPerDollar)") // Output: Items per dollar: 0.046153846153846156

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

Subtotal: 75.0
Total after discount: 65.0
Items per dollar: 0.046153846153846156

Best Practices

Use Explicit Type Annotations for Clarity

Swift’s type inference is powerful, but explicitly declaring types for numeric variables improves readability and avoids unexpected type issues.
Swift
```
let price: Double = 19.99
let quantity: Int = 3
let total = price * Double(quantity) // Explicit conversion
print(total) // Output: 59.97
```
Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4
```
59.97
```
Choose Appropriate Numeric Types

Use Int for whole numbers and Double or Float for decimals, depending on precision needs. Prefer Double for better precision unless memory is a constraint.
Swift
```
let distance: Double = 42.195 // Marathon distance in km, Double for precision
let laps: Int = 10 // Whole number, no need for decimal
```

Leverage Compound Assignment for Conciseness

var score = 100
score += 10 // Cleaner than score = score + 10
print(score) // Output: 110

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

Use Parentheses for Operator Precedence
Swift
```
let result = (10 + 5) * 2 // Clear intent
print(result) // Output: 30
```
Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4
```
30
```

Handle Floating-Point Precision Carefully

Floating-point arithmetic (Double, Float) can lead to small precision errors. Use rounded() or format output for user-facing displays.

let a = 0.1
let b = 0.2
let sum = (a + b).rounded(toPlaces: 2) // Avoids 0.30000000000000004
print(sum) // Output: 0.3

extension Double {
    func rounded(toPlaces places: Int) -> Double {
        let divisor = pow(10.0, Double(places))
        return (self * divisor).rounded() / divisor
    }
}

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

0.3

Validate Inputs Before Division

func divide(_ numerator: Int, by denominator: Int) {
    if denominator != 0 {
        let result = numerator / denominator
        print(result)
    } else {
        print("Error: Division by zero")
    }
}

divide(10, by: 0)
// Output: Error: Division by zero

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

Error: Division by zero

Limitations

Type Safety Restrictions

let intVal = 5
let doubleVal = 2.5
let result = Double(intVal) + doubleVal // Convert Int to Double
print(result) // Output: 7.5

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

7.5

Integer Division Truncation

let a = 7
let b = 2
print(a / b) // Output: 3 (not 3.5)

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

print(Double(a) / Double(b)) // Output: 3.5

Modulus Limited to Integers

let x = 10.5
let y = 3.0
let remainder = x.truncatingRemainder(dividingBy: y)
print(remainder) // Output: 1.5

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

1.5

Overflow Safety

var maxInt = Int.max
maxInt &+= 1 // Wraps around instead of crashing
print(maxInt) // Output: Int.min

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

-9223372036854775808

No Built-In Unary Increment/Decrement
Swift
```
var counter = 0
counter += 1 // Instead of counter++
print(counter) // Output: 1
```
Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4
```
1
```

Practical Example Applying Best Practices

Here’s a Swift function that calculates a discounted price, incorporating best practices and avoiding common pitfalls:

func calculateDiscountedPrice(basePrice: Double, discountPercent: Double) -> Double? {
    // Validate inputs
    guard basePrice >= 0, discountPercent >= 0, discountPercent <= 100 else {
        print("Error: Invalid price or discount")
        return nil
    }
    
    // Ensure precise calculation
    let discountFraction = discountPercent / 100.0
    let discountedPrice = basePrice * (1.0 - discountFraction)
    
    // Round for display precision
    return discountedPrice.rounded(toPlaces: 2)
}

let price: Double = 99.99
let discount: Double = 20.0
if let finalPrice = calculateDiscountedPrice(basePrice: price, discountPercent: discount) {
    print("Final price: \(String(format: "%.2f", finalPrice))")
} else {
    print("Calculation failed")
}
// Output: Final price: 79.99

Practice Exercise: Arithmetic Operators in Swift

Instructions for the Student:
You're running a simple coffee shop app in Swift. Use what you've learned about constants (let), variables (var), basic data types like Int and Double, type inference, type annotation, literals, and comments to calculate the total cost of a customer's order. Focus on practicing arithmetic operators (+, -, *, /, %, and compound ones like +=) while handling prices and quantities. Remember to validate for division by zero and use parentheses for clarity. Write your code in a Swift Playground or Xcode file.

Question:
A customer orders 3 lattes at $4.50 each, plus 2 espressos at $2.75 each. Apply a 10% discount on the subtotal, then add a flat $1.25 tax. Finally, calculate how many whole cents are left after rounding down the total to the nearest dollar (use modulus % for the remainder).

Declare constants for the prices (use Double with type annotation).
Use variables to track subtotal, discount, tax, and final total (start with type inference where possible).
Use compound operators to update the subtotal and total.
Add comments explaining each arithmetic step.
Print the subtotal, final total, and the cents remainder (e.g., "Cents left: X").

Expected Output:

Show solution

Subtotal: 19.0
Final total: 18.35
Cents left: 35

Hint: For the discount, calculate it as subtotal * 0.10. For rounding down to the nearest dollar, use integer division after converting to cents (multiply total by 100, then / and % with 100).

Solution

// Constants for prices with type annotation
let lattePrice: Double = 4.50
let espressoPrice: Double = 2.75

// Variables for quantities (type inference to Int)
var latteQuantity = 3
var espressoQuantity = 2

// Calculate subtotal using multiplication and addition
var subtotal = lattePrice * Double(latteQuantity) + espressoPrice * Double(espressoQuantity)
print("Subtotal: \(subtotal)") // Output: Subtotal: 19.0

// Apply 10% discount using multiplication (convert percent to fraction)
let discountPercent: Double = 0.10
var discountedSubtotal = subtotal - (subtotal * discountPercent) // Or use: subtotal *= (1 - discountPercent)

// Add tax using addition
let tax: Double = 1.25
discountedSubtotal += tax // Compound assignment for concise update
print("Final total: \(discountedSubtotal)") // Output: Final total: 18.35

// Calculate cents remainder: Convert to cents, then use modulus
let totalInCents: Int = Int(discountedSubtotal * 100) // 1835 cents
let dollars = totalInCents / 100 // Integer division truncates to whole dollars
let centsRemainder = totalInCents % 100 // Modulus for remainder
print("Cents left: \(centsRemainder)") // Output: Cents left: 35

// Note: No division by zero here, but in real code, guard against quantity == 0 for per-item calcs

Output✓ Tested · Swift 6.4

Subtotal: 19.0
Final total: 18.35
Cents left: 35

Swift Arithmetic Operators

Arithmetic Operators in Swift

1. Addition (+)

2. Subtraction (-)

3. Multiplication (*)

4. Division (/)

5. Modulus (%)

6. Compound Assignment Operators (+=, -=, *=, /=, %=)

Key Points

Practical Example Combining Operators

Best Practices

Use Explicit Type Annotations for Clarity

Choose Appropriate Numeric Types

Leverage Compound Assignment for Conciseness

Use Parentheses for Operator Precedence

Handle Floating-Point Precision Carefully

Validate Inputs Before Division

Limitations

Type Safety Restrictions

Integer Division Truncation

Modulus Limited to Integers

Overflow Safety

No Built-In Unary Increment/Decrement

Practical Example Applying Best Practices

Practice Exercise: Arithmetic Operators in Swift

Solution

1. Addition (`+`)

2. Subtraction (`-`)

3. Multiplication (`*`)

4. Division (`/`)

5. Modulus (`%`)

6. Compound Assignment Operators (`+=`, `-=`, `*=`, `/=`, `%=`)