1. What is Percentage Increase?

Percentage increase measures how much a value has grown relative to its original amount, expressed as a percentage. It's commonly used in finance, economics, statistics, and everyday life to track growth and changes over time.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percentage increase formula:

Where:

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

Explanation: The formula calculates the difference between new and old values, divides by the original value to get the relative change, then multiplies by 100 to convert to percentage.

3. Importance of Percentage Increase Calculation

Details: Percentage increase is essential for analyzing growth rates, comparing performance metrics, tracking inflation, measuring investment returns, and evaluating business performance over time.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the original (old) value and the new value. Both values must be positive numbers, and the old value cannot be zero to avoid division by zero errors.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between percentage increase and percentage change?
A: Percentage increase specifically measures growth, while percentage change can be positive (increase) or negative (decrease).

Q2: Can percentage increase be negative?
A: No, percentage increase specifically refers to growth. If the result is negative, it indicates a percentage decrease instead.

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 increase used in real life?
A: Common applications include salary increases, stock price growth, population growth rates, sales growth, and inflation calculations.

Q5: What's considered a good percentage increase?
A: This depends on context. In business, 5-10% annual growth might be good, while in investments, higher percentages are typically sought.