1. What is Percentage Change?

Percentage change measures the degree of change over time expressed as a percentage. It's used to compare the relative change between an old value and a new value, showing either an increase or decrease.

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 as a percentage of the original value. 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 many scientific fields to measure growth rates, price changes, performance improvements, and other comparative metrics.

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: 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%.

Q3: What if my old value is zero?
A: Percentage change is undefined when the old value is zero, as it would require division by zero.

Q4: How is percentage change different from percentage points?
A: Percentage change measures relative change, while percentage points measure absolute difference between two percentages.

Q5: When should I use percentage change vs. absolute change?
A: Use percentage change when comparing relative differences, and absolute change when the actual difference matters more than the proportion.