1. What is Percentage Change?

Percentage change measures the degree of change over time. It's used to compare the difference between an old value and a new value, expressed as a percentage of the old value. This calculation is widely used in finance, economics, statistics, and many other fields.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percentage change formula:

Where:

• New Value — The current or ending value
• Old Value — The previous or starting value

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

3. Importance of Percentage Change Calculation

Details: Percentage change is essential for understanding growth rates, price changes, performance improvements, and many other comparative measurements. It provides a standardized way to compare changes across different scales.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both the new value and old value. The old value cannot be zero (division by zero is undefined). Positive results indicate an increase, negative results indicate a decrease.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a positive/negative percentage mean?
A: Positive percentage means increase, negative means decrease. Zero means no change.

Q2: Why can't the old value be zero?
A: Division by zero is mathematically undefined. You cannot calculate percentage change from zero.

Q3: How is this different from percentage difference?
A: Percentage change compares a new value to an old value. Percentage difference compares two values without directionality.

Q4: What if I have multiple changes over time?
A: For compound percentage changes, you would need to calculate each period separately or use a compound growth formula.

Q5: Can I use this for percentage decrease?
A: Yes, the same formula works for both increases and decreases. A decrease will simply show as a negative percentage.