1. What is a Percentage Change Calculator?

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

Purpose: It helps analyze growth, decline, or change in various metrics like prices, quantities, or measurements.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• New Value — The current or updated measurement
• Old Value — The original or previous measurement

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 helps compare relative differences regardless of the absolute values, making it useful for financial analysis, performance tracking, and statistical comparisons.

4. Using the Calculator

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

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a negative percentage 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 change might be significant, while a 5% change in large populations might not be.

Q5: Can I calculate reverse percentage change?
A: Yes, by swapping the old and new values in the formula.