1. What is a Percentage Change Calculator?

Definition: This calculator determines the percentage increase or decrease between two values.

Purpose: It helps analyze growth rates, price changes, performance improvements, and other comparative measurements.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• Old — The original or starting value
• New — The current or ending value
• Change — The percentage difference between the values

Explanation: The formula calculates the relative difference between two numbers as a percentage of the original value.

3. Importance of Percentage Change Calculation

Details: Percentage change is widely used in finance, economics, business, science, and everyday life to measure growth, decline, or relative differences.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the original (old) value and the new value. The old value cannot be zero. Positive results indicate increases, negative results indicate decreases.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a negative percentage change mean?
A: A negative result indicates a decrease from the old value to the new value.

Q2: Why can't the old value be zero?
A: Division by zero is mathematically undefined, making percentage change calculation impossible.

Q3: How is this 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 original.

Q4: Can I calculate percentage change over multiple periods?
A: Yes, you can chain calculations or use compound growth formulas for multi-period changes.

Q5: What's the difference between percentage points and percent change?
A: Percentage points measure absolute difference (e.g., 5% to 7% is 2 percentage points), while percent change measures relative difference (e.g., 5% to 7% is 40% increase).