1. What is a Percentage Change Calculator?

Definition: This calculator measures the percentage increase or decrease between an old value and a new value.

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

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• Old Value — The original or starting value
• New Value — The current or ending value
• Change — Percentage increase or decrease

Explanation: The difference between new and old values is divided by the old value to get relative change, then multiplied by 100 to convert to percentage.

3. Importance of Percentage Change Calculation

Details: Percentage change provides a standardized way to compare changes across different scales and magnitudes, making it essential for financial analysis, sales tracking, and performance measurement.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the old value and new value. The calculator will show the percentage increase (positive) or decrease (negative). Old value cannot be zero.

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 two values over time, while percentage difference compares two simultaneous values.

Q4: What's considered a significant percentage change?
A: Significance depends on context - a 5% price increase might be significant, while a 5% population change might not be.

Q5: Can I calculate compound percentage changes?
A: This calculator shows simple percentage change. For compound changes, use a CAGR calculator.