1. What is Percentage Change?

Percentage change measures the relative difference between an old value and a new value, expressed as a percentage. It's widely used in finance, economics, statistics, and everyday life to track growth, decline, or variation over time.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percentage change formula:

Where:

• \( New \) — The new or current value
• \( Old \) — The original or previous value

Explanation: The formula calculates the difference between new and old values relative to the original value, then converts it to a percentage by multiplying by 100.

3. Importance of Percentage Change Calculation

Details: Percentage change is essential for analyzing trends, comparing performance, making investment decisions, tracking growth rates, and understanding market fluctuations across various fields including business, finance, and scientific research.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the original (old) value and the new value in any consistent units. The old value must be greater than zero. Positive results indicate increase, negative results indicate decrease.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a negative percentage change mean?
A: A negative percentage change indicates a decrease or reduction from the original value to the new value.

Q2: Can percentage change be more than 100%?
A: Yes, percentage change can exceed 100% when the new value is more than double the original value.

Q3: What if the old value is zero?
A: The calculation is undefined when the old value is zero, as division by zero is mathematically impossible.

Q4: How is percentage change different from percentage points?
A: Percentage change measures relative change from an original value, while percentage points measure absolute difference between two percentages.

Q5: When is percentage change most useful?
A: It's most useful for comparing changes across different scales and time periods, especially when analyzing growth rates, price changes, and performance metrics.