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 updated value
• Old Value — The original or previous 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

Details: Percentage change is widely used in finance, economics, science, and everyday life to compare changes over time, assess growth rates, and analyze performance metrics.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both old and new values. The calculator will show the percentage increase or decrease. Note that the old value cannot be zero (division by zero is undefined).

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 different values at the same time.

Q3: What if my old value is zero?
A: The calculation is undefined when the old value is zero, as you cannot divide by zero. You'll need to use a different comparison method in this case.

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