from those currently anticipated and expressed in such forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors , including those we discuss under 201crisk factors 201d and elsewhere in this form 10-k .you should read 201crisk factors 201d and 201cforward-looking statements . 201d executive overview general american water works company , inc .( herein referred to as 201camerican water 201d or the 201ccompany 201d ) is the largest investor-owned united states water and wastewater utility company , as measured both by operating revenues and population served .our approximately 6400 employees provide drinking water , wastewater and other water related services to an estimated 15 million people in 47 states and in one canadian province .our primary business involves the ownership of water and wastewater utilities that provide water and wastewater services to residential , commercial , industrial and other customers .our regulated businesses that provide these services are generally subject to economic regulation by state regulatory agencies in the states in which they operate .the federal government and the states also regulate environmental , health and safety and water quality matters .our regulated businesses provide services in 16 states and serve approximately 3.2 million customers based on the number of active service connections to our water and wastewater networks .we report the results of these businesses in our regulated businesses segment .we also provide services that are not subject to economic regulation by state regulatory agencies .we report the results of these businesses in our market-based operations segment .in 2014 , we continued the execution of our strategic goals .our commitment to growth through investment in our regulated infrastructure and expansion of our regulated customer base and our market-based operations , combined with operational excellence led to continued improvement in regulated operating efficiency , improved performance of our market-based operations , and enabled us to provide increased value to our customers and investors .during the year , we focused on growth , addressed regulatory lag , made more efficient use of capital and improved our regulated operation and maintenance ( 201co&m 201d ) efficiency ratio .2014 financial results for the year ended december 31 , 2014 , we continued to increase net income , while making significant capital investment in our infrastructure and implementing operational efficiency improvements to keep customer rates affordable .highlights of our 2014 operating results compared to 2013 and 2012 include: .
[['', '2014', '2013', '2012'], ['income from continuing operations', '$ 2.39', '$ 2.07', '$ 2.10'], ['income ( loss ) from discontinued operations net of tax', '$ -0.04 ( 0.04 )', '$ -0.01 ( 0.01 )', '$ -0.09 ( 0.09 )'], ['diluted earnings per share', '$ 2.35', '$ 2.06', '$ 2.01']]
continuing operations income from continuing operations included 4 cents per diluted share of costs resulting from the freedom industries chemical spill in west virginia in 2014 and included 14 cents per diluted share in 2013 related to a tender offer .earnings from continuing operations , adjusted for these two items , increased 10% ( 10 % ) , or 22 cents per share , mainly due to favorable operating results from our regulated businesses segment due to higher revenues and lower operating expenses , partially offset by higher depreciation expenses .also contributing to the overall increase in income from continuing operations was lower interest expense in 2014 compared to the same period in 2013. .

Question: by how much did diluted earnings per share increase from 2012 to 2014?
Answer: 16.9%