"More than 60% of companies surveyed had at least one female director, UP FROM 58% in last year´s survey..."

     Mais de 60% das empresas pesquisadas tinham pelo menos uma diretora, comparando com os dados da pesquisa do último ano QUE ERA 58% (das empresas).

    UP FROM, denotes movement upwards. There is you have a point A where you are NOW compared with point B, THEN.

    In the above sentence it´s the same as to say "we took a survey in companies in the market, and the data is":

    NOW  60% of female directors are females.

    THEN 58%  of female directors were females. 

    See? there was an movement upwards, precisely from 58% to 60%.

    So, FROM ....%   TO%   (when talking about B to A, the lesser to the higher point)

    X %    UP FROM  Y%, last year (week, month, yada yada yada).

                        That is, the other way around, from B to A, from the higher to the lesser point.

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Further readings:

http://pt.bab.la/dicionario/ingles-portugues/up-from

We went up from EUR 385 million in 1996 to a EUR 5 707 million take in 2004.
Passámos de 385 milhões de euros em 1996 para 707 milhões de euros em 2004.

There is an increase in the overall number of vessels, which goes up from 60 to 65.
Verifica-se, assim, um aumento do número de navios, que passa de 60 para 65.

I would therefore say that the most enduring teams should be built up from scratch and not simply bought up.
Diria, assim, que as equipas mais resistentes deveriam ser formadas a partir da estaca zero, e não simplesmente compradas.

Yisrael Beytenu was on track to win 15 seats, up from 11 currently.
Yisrael Beytenu (partido)  estava para ganhar 15 assentos (vagas no Senado, Câmara etc), dos 11 que atualmente ele tem.

I understand that economic growth is projected to be 2.3 % in the European Union and 2.1 % in the euro area in 2006, up from 1.6 % and 1.3 % respectively in 2005.
Sei que se prevê um crescimento económico de 2,3 % na União Europeia e de 2,1 % na zona euro, em comparação com as taxas de 1,6 % e 1,3 %, respectivamente, em 2005.