Percentage Change Calculator: Quickly Calculate Change
Our percentage change calculator determines the percentage increase or decrease between two values. This is also known as percent change, percent growth, or percent decrease.
Percentage Change Calculator
Calculate the percentage difference between **Value 1** (Original) and **Value 2** (New).
The starting value (Original)
The final value (New)
Absolute Difference ($\text{Value 2} - \text{Value 1}$)
0.00
Result Status
No Change
Percentage Change
Calculation Details
Enter both a **Value 1** and a **Value 2** to see the calculation steps.
How to calculate percentage change?
Step-by-step example
- Identify your values
Old Value (Original or Value 1): 80
New Value (New or Value 2): 100
- Calculate the difference
100 - 80 = 20
- Divide the difference by the old value
20/80 = 0.25
- Multiply the result by 100
0.25 x 100 = 25%
The result is a positive 25%, indicating a 25% increase from 80 to 100.
Why the percentage change depends on the starting value
It is important to always use the original or starting value as the baseline for calculation. The final percentage is relative to that starting point.
For example, a 25% increase from 80 to 100 is not the same as a 25% decrease from 100 back to 80.
- A 25% increase:
You start with 80
You increase by 25%
80 x .25 = 20
80 + 20 = 100
- A 25% decrease:
You start with 100
You decrease by 25%
100 x 0.25 = 25
100 - 25 = 75
In this scenario, a 25% decrease from 100 results in 75, not the original 80. The math is not symmetrical because the percentage is calculated from a different starting value.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can a percentage increase be more than 100%?
Yes, a percentage increase can be more than 100%. A 100% increase means a value has doubled, so any increase that results in more than double the original value will be greater than 100%.
For example, if an investment of $500 grows to $1,500, the increase is $1,000.
What happens when you calculate percentage change from zero?
The formula for percentage change involves dividing by the original value. Because division by zero is undefined, you cannot calculate a percentage change if the original value is zero. In such a case, you should describe the change in absolute terms instead.
