Percentage Change Calculator
Enter a starting value and a new value to see the percentage increase or decrease between them, with the calculation written out.
Type any value — the result updates as you type.
Percentage change formula
Percentage change compares a new value with a starting value and expresses the difference as a share of the start.
If the result is positive, the value went up; if it is negative, it went down. The absolute value of the old number (|old|) keeps the direction right when the starting value is negative.
Examples
- A price rises from 200 to 260: (260 − 200) ÷ 200 × 100 = +30%.
- Visitors fall from 1,250 to 1,000: (1,000 − 1,250) ÷ 1,250 × 100 = −20%.
- A salary goes from 4,000 to 4,200: (4,200 − 4,000) ÷ 4,000 × 100 = +5%.
Increase and decrease are not symmetrical
Going from 100 to 125 is a 25% increase, but going back from 125 to 100 is only a 20% decrease, because the second change is measured against a larger starting value. Always divide by the value you start from.
Percentage change vs. percentage points
When the values are themselves percentages — interest rates, conversion rates, shares of a vote — say whether you mean the change in percentage points (5% → 6% is +1 point) or the percentage change (5% → 6% is +20%).
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate percentage change?
Subtract the old value from the new value, divide the difference by the old value and multiply by 100.
What if the starting value is zero?
Percentage change from zero is undefined, because you would divide by zero. Report the absolute change instead.
Is percentage change the same as percentage difference?
No. Percentage change has a direction (from old to new). Percentage difference compares two values without a starting point, dividing by their average.