1. What is Percentage Change?

Percentage change measures the relative difference between an old value and a new value, expressed as a percentage. It shows how much a quantity has increased or decreased compared to its original value.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percentage change formula:

Where:

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

Explanation: The formula calculates the relative difference between two values. A positive result indicates an increase, while a negative result indicates a decrease.

3. Importance of Percentage Change

Details: Percentage change is widely used in finance, economics, statistics, and business to track growth rates, price changes, performance metrics, and other comparative analyses.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both old and new values. The calculator will show the percentage change and indicate whether it's an increase or decrease. Note: Old value cannot be zero (division by zero).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a negative percentage change mean?
A: A negative percentage change indicates a decrease from the old value to the new value.

Q2: How is percentage change different from percentage difference?
A: Percentage change compares two values over time (before/after), while percentage difference compares two simultaneous values.

Q3: What if my old value is zero?
A: Percentage change is undefined when the old value is zero because you cannot divide by zero. Consider using absolute difference instead.

Q4: Can percentage change be more than 100%?
A: Yes, percentage change can exceed 100% when the new value is more than double the old value.

Q5: How do I interpret a percentage decrease?
A: A percentage decrease shows how much a value has reduced relative to its original amount. For example, -20% means the new value is 20% less than the old value.