Percentage Change Calculator
Calculate the percentage change between two values
Percentage change measures the relative change between two values, expressed as a percentage. It can represent either an increase or decrease and is commonly used to:
- Track growth or decline over time
- Compare changes between different quantities
- Analyze trends and patterns
- Evaluate performance metrics
A positive percentage change indicates an increase, while a negative percentage change indicates a decrease from the initial value.
The formula for percentage change is:
Percentage Change = ((Final Value - Initial Value) ÷ |Initial Value|) × 100
The calculation involves three steps:
- Find the Absolute Change: Subtract the initial value from the final value
- Divide by Initial Value: Divide the change by the absolute value of the initial value
- Convert to Percentage: Multiply by 100 to get the percentage
Finance
- Stock price changes
- Investment returns
- Sales growth
- Cost variations
Business
- Market share changes
- Revenue growth
- Customer base expansion
- Productivity improvements
Science
- Population growth
- Temperature changes
- Chemical reactions
- Environmental changes
Personal
- Weight changes
- Salary increases
- Budget variations
- Performance metrics
Stock Price Change
Initial price: $50, Final price: $60
- Change: $60 - $50 = $10
- Percentage: ($10 ÷ $50) × 100 = +20%
Population Decrease
Initial: 1000, Final: 800
- Change: 800 - 1000 = -200
- Percentage: (-200 ÷ 1000) × 100 = -20%
Can percentage change be more than 100%?
Yes! When the final value is more than double the initial value, the percentage change will exceed 100%. For example, if a value increases from 100 to 300, that's a 200% increase.
Why do we use the absolute value of the initial value?
We use the absolute value to ensure the sign of the percentage change correctly indicates whether it's an increase or decrease, regardless of whether the initial value is positive or negative.
What's the difference between percentage change and percentage points?
Percentage change is relative to the initial value, while percentage points measure the absolute difference between two percentages. For example, if an interest rate increases from 2% to 3%, that's a 1 percentage point increase but a 50% change.