1. What is Percentage Increase?

Percentage increase measures how much a quantity has grown relative to its original value, expressed as a percentage. It's commonly used to track growth, inflation, performance improvements, and other changes over time.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percentage increase formula:

Where:

• New Value — The current or final measurement
• Old Value — The original or initial measurement

Explanation: The formula calculates the difference between new and old values, divides by the original value to get relative change, then multiplies by 100 to convert to percentage.

3. When to Use Percentage Increase

Common Applications: Salary raises, investment growth, price changes, population growth, performance metrics, scientific measurements, and any situation where relative change matters more than absolute change.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both values in the same units. The old value cannot be zero (division by zero is undefined). Positive results indicate increase, negative results indicate decrease.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between percentage increase and absolute increase?
A: Absolute increase is simple subtraction (new - old), while percentage increase shows the change relative to the original value.

Q2: How do I interpret a negative percentage increase?
A: A negative result actually indicates a percentage decrease between the values.

Q3: Why can't the old value be zero?
A: Division by zero is mathematically undefined. You cannot calculate percentage change from zero.

Q4: What if both values are negative?
A: The formula still works. For example, changing from -10 to -5 is a 50% increase.

Q5: How is this different from percentage points?
A: Percentage points measure absolute difference between percentages, while percentage increase measures relative change from an original value.