1. What is a Percentage Change Calculator?

Definition: This calculator measures the relative change between two values expressed as a percentage.

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:

• New Value — The current or final measurement
• Old Value — The original or initial 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 provides a standardized way to compare changes across different scales and units, making it essential for financial analysis, scientific research, and business metrics.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both old and new values. The old value cannot be zero (division by zero is undefined). Positive results indicate increase, negative results indicate decrease.

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: How is this different from percentage difference?
A: Percentage change compares two values over time, while percentage difference compares two simultaneous values.

Q3: Why can't the old value be zero?
A: Division by zero is mathematically undefined, making percentage change impossible to calculate.

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

Q5: How do I interpret a percentage change from 50 to 75?
A: This is a 50% increase (75-50=25, 25/50=0.5, 0.5×100=50%).