1. What is a Percent Change Calculator?

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

Purpose: It helps analyze changes in values over time, such as price changes, growth rates, or performance improvements.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• New Number — The current or final value
• Old Number — The original or initial value

Explanation: The difference between the new and old numbers is divided by the absolute value of the old number, then multiplied by 100 to get a percentage.

3. Importance of Percent Change Calculation

Details: Percent change is widely used in finance, economics, science, and business to measure growth rates, inflation, performance changes, and more.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both the old and new numbers. The calculator handles both increases (positive result) and decreases (negative result).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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

Q2: What if the old number is zero?
A: The calculation is undefined (division by zero), so the calculator won't return a result.

Q3: Why use absolute value for the old number?
A: Using absolute value ensures consistent results whether the old number was positive or negative.

Q4: How is this different from percentage points?
A: Percent change measures relative change between two values, while percentage points measure absolute differences between percentages.

Q5: Can I calculate reverse percentage changes?
A: Yes, you can rearrange the formula to find original values given the percentage change.