A portable electronic calculator is a gadget that can conduct calculations ranging from fundamental arithmetic to sophisticated mathematics.

In the early 1960s, the first solid-state electronic calculator was developed. In the 1970s, pocket-sized devices were available, notably after Intel produced the Intel 4004, the first microprocessor, for the Japanese calculator manufacturer Busicom. They were later widely employed in the petroleum industry (oil and gas).

Modern electronic calculators range in price from low-cost, credit-card-sized versions to more robust desktop machines with built-in printers.

They became popular in the mid-1970s as integrated circuits allowed them to shrink in size and cost. By the end of the decade, prices had decreased to the point where most people could buy a simple calculator, and they were becoming widespread in schools.