Percentage Change Calculator
Calculate the percentage increase or decrease between two values.
The Percentage Change Calculator finds the exact percentage increase or decrease between two values. Whether you're analyzing a price change, comparing this year's revenue to last year, tracking weight loss progress, or calculating a salary raise percentage, the formula is the same: divide the change by the original value and multiply by 100. This calculator also handles the reverse — enter a starting value and a desired percentage change to find the new value. Understanding percentage change is one of the most practical math skills for finance, business, and daily life.
Percentage Change Calculator
Formula
Examples
Price Increase: $80 to $100
A product's price increased from $80 to $100. What is the percentage increase?
→ 25% increase
Revenue Growth: $1.2M to $1.8M
Annual revenue grew from $1.2M to $1.8M. What is the year-over-year growth rate?
→ 50% increase
Salary Negotiation: $65,000 to $74,750
A salary increase from $65,000 to $74,750. What percentage raise is this?
→ 15% increase
Price Drop in Market Downturn
Asset value dropped from $250,000 to $187,500. What is the percentage decrease?
→ 25% decrease
Tips
- ✓A 50% increase followed by a 50% decrease does NOT return to the original value — it ends 25% lower.
- ✓To reverse a percentage change, divide by the factor (e.g., divide by 1.20 to reverse a 20% increase).
- ✓For multi-year growth, use CAGR rather than simple percentage change to account for compounding.
- ✓When reporting changes, always specify the reference period — "25% increase vs last quarter" vs "vs last year" can look very different.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the formula for percentage change?
Percentage Change = ((New Value − Old Value) / |Old Value|) × 100. A positive result means an increase; negative means a decrease.
What is the difference between percentage change and percentage difference?
Percentage change measures change from an original value (directional — has a "before" and "after"). Percentage difference is symmetric and measures difference relative to the average of two values, used when neither value is a reference point.
Does a 50% decrease followed by a 50% increase return to the original value?
No. Starting at 100: after 50% decrease = 50. Then 50% increase of 50 = 75. You end up at 75, not 100. Percentage changes are multiplicative, not additive.
How do I reverse a percentage increase?
To find the original value before a percentage increase, divide by (1 + rate). Example: After a 25% increase, the value is $125. Original = $125 / 1.25 = $100. Do NOT subtract 25% from $125 — that gives $93.75 (wrong).
What is a year-over-year (YoY) percentage change?
Year-over-year change compares a metric (revenue, sales, traffic) to the same metric 12 months prior. Formula: (Current Year − Prior Year) / Prior Year × 100. It removes seasonal fluctuations by comparing equivalent periods.
What is CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate)?
CAGR measures the steady annual growth rate over multiple years: CAGR = (End Value / Start Value)^(1/Years) − 1. Unlike simple percentage change, CAGR accounts for compounding and is a more meaningful measure of long-term growth.
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