1. What is a Percentage of Change Calculator?

Definition: This calculator measures the relative change between an old value and a new value 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 — The current or updated value
• Old — The original or previous value

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

3. Interpretation of Results

Positive % — Increase from old to new value
Negative % — Decrease from old to new value
0% — No change between values

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both old and new values. The old value cannot be zero (division by zero is undefined).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between percentage change and percentage difference?
A: Percentage change compares two values over time (old vs new), while percentage difference compares two simultaneous values.

Q2: How do I interpret a negative percentage change?
A: A negative result indicates a decrease from the old value to the new value.

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

Q4: What are common applications of percentage change?
A: Financial analysis (stock prices), sales performance, population growth, scientific measurements, and more.

Q5: How is percentage change different from absolute change?
A: Absolute change shows the numerical difference (New - Old), while percentage change shows the relative difference as a percentage.