Use this percentage change calculator to find the percentage change between an original value and a new value. Enter the original value and the new value to calculate whether the value increased or decreased, along with the absolute change and calculation steps.
Percentage Change Calculator
How to Calculate Percentage Change
The percentage change formula compares the difference between the new value and the original value with the original value.
Percentage Change Formula
Percentage Change = ((New Value − Original Value) ÷ Original Value) × 100
For example, if a value changes from 200 to 250:
- Original value = 200
- New value = 250
- Change = 250 − 200 = 50
Percentage Change = (50 ÷ 200) × 100 = 25%
So, the value increased by 25%.
This is the basic formula for percentage change and can be used whenever you know the starting and ending values.
How to Find Percentage Change Between Two Numbers
To calculate percentage change between two numbers, follow these steps:
- Identify the original value.
- Identify the new value.
- Subtract the original value from the new value.
- Divide the change by the original value.
- Multiply by 100.
- Check whether the result is positive or negative to determine whether the value increased or decreased.
Example
Suppose a product price changes from ₹800 to ₹1,000.
Change = ₹1,000 − ₹800 = ₹200
Percentage Change = (₹200 ÷ ₹800) × 100
Percentage Change = 25%
The price increased by 25%.
Percentage Change Examples
| Original Value | New Value | Change | Percentage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 120 | +20 | 20% increase |
| 200 | 250 | +50 | 25% increase |
| 500 | 400 | −100 | 20% decrease |
| 1,000 | 1,250 | +250 | 25% increase |
| 800 | 600 | −200 | 25% decrease |
These examples show why the same numerical difference can produce different percentage changes depending on the original value.
How to Calculate Percentage Change in Price
Percentage change is commonly used to compare a price before and after a change.
For example, if the price of an item increases from ₹500 to ₹600:
Change = ₹600 − ₹500 = ₹100
Percentage Change = (₹100 ÷ ₹500) × 100 = 20%
Therefore, the price increased by 20%.
You can use the same calculation for changes in salaries, expenses, sales, quantities, or other values.
How to Calculate Annual Percentage Change
The same percentage change formula can be used to compare a value from one year with the value from another year.
For example, if annual sales increase from ₹10 lakh to ₹12 lakh:
Percentage Change = ((12 − 10) ÷ 10) × 100 = 20%
So, sales increased by 20%.
If you need to compare multiple years, calculate the percentage change separately for each consecutive period.
Absolute Change vs Percentage Change
Absolute change tells you how much the value changed in actual numbers.
Percentage change tells you how large that change is relative to the original value.
For example:
- Original value = 500
- New value = 600
- Absolute change = 100
- Percentage change = 20%
So, the value changed by 100 units, which represents a 20% increase.
Both measurements are useful, but they answer different questions.
Percentage Points vs Percentage Change
Percentage points and percentage change describe different things.
For example, if a rate changes from 4% to 5%:
- Change = 1 percentage point
- Percentage change = 25%
The increase is 1 percentage point, but relative to the original 4%, it represents a 25% increase.
This distinction is particularly useful when comparing percentages or rates.
Common Uses of Percentage Change
You can use percentage change to compare:
- Product prices
- Salary changes
- Sales figures
- Business revenue
- Expenses
- Student marks
- Production quantities
- Investment values
- Website traffic
- Population or other numerical measurements
The calculation remains the same as long as you have a clear original value and new value.
Frequently Asked Questions
The formula is:
Percentage Change = ((New Value − Original Value) ÷ Original Value) × 100
Subtract the original value from the new value, divide the result by the original value, and multiply by 100.
Enter the first number as the original value and the second as the new value. Then use:
((New − Original) ÷ Original) × 100
Yes. A negative result means the new value is lower than the original value, indicating a percentage decrease.
Yes. Use the value from the earlier period as the original value and the value from the later period as the new value.
Percentage change cannot be calculated using the standard formula when the original value is zero because division by zero is undefined.