1. What is Percentage Change?

Percentage change measures the relative difference between an old value and a new value, expressed as a percentage. It's commonly used to track growth, decline, or changes in financial, scientific, and business metrics.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percentage change formula:

Where:

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

Explanation: The formula calculates what percentage the difference between new and old values represents relative to the old value.

3. Importance of Percentage Change

Details: Percentage change is crucial for comparing changes across different scales, analyzing trends, making business decisions, and understanding growth rates in various fields like finance, economics, and science.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both old and new values in the same units. The old value must be greater than zero. The calculator will show the percentage increase or decrease.

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 impossible. Consider absolute change instead.

Q3: How is this different from percentage points?
A: Percentage change measures relative change from an original value, while percentage points measure absolute differences between percentages.

Q4: Can I calculate percentage decrease?
A: Yes, the calculator automatically detects decreases and shows them as negative percentages (or positive percentages with "decrease").

Q5: What are common applications of percentage change?
A: Common uses include financial growth analysis, price changes, performance metrics, scientific measurements, and demographic changes.