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

3. Importance of Percentage Change

Details: Percentage change is widely used in finance, economics, science, and everyday life to compare changes over time, track growth or decline, and make meaningful comparisons between different scales.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both old and new values. The calculator will automatically determine if the change is an increase or decrease and display the percentage change. Note: Old value cannot be 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: What if my old value is zero?
A: Percentage change is undefined when the old value is zero, as division by zero is not possible.

Q3: How is percentage change different from percentage difference?
A: Percentage change compares a new value to an old value, while percentage difference compares any two values without reference to which is older.

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

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, a 20% decrease means the new value is 80% of the original.