Percent Change Calculator

Calculate the percentage change between two values. This calculator automatically determines whether the change is an increase or decrease.

Calculate Percent Change

Percent Change Formula

Percent Change = ((Final Value - Original Value) / Original Value) × 100

How It Works

  1. Find the difference: Subtract the original value from the final value
  2. Divide by original: Divide the difference by the original value
  3. Multiply by 100: Convert to a percentage
  4. Determine direction: Positive result = increase, negative = decrease

Examples

Example 1: Stock Price Change

Problem: A stock price changed from $40 to $50. What is the percent change?

Solution:

  • Difference: $50 - $40 = $10
  • Divide: $10 / $40 = 0.25
  • Percentage: 0.25 × 100 = +25% (increase)

Example 2: Temperature Change

Problem: The temperature changed from 75°F to 60°F. Find the percent change.

Solution:

  • Difference: 60 - 75 = -15
  • Divide: -15 / 75 = -0.20
  • Percentage: -0.20 × 100 = -20% (decrease)

Example 3: Revenue Change

Problem: Company revenue changed from $2 million to $2.5 million. What's the percent change?

Solution:

  • Difference: $2.5M - $2M = $0.5M
  • Divide: $0.5M / $2M = 0.25
  • Percentage: 0.25 × 100 = +25% (increase)

Example 4: Gasoline Price

Problem: Gas prices changed from $3.60/gallon to $3.00/gallon. Calculate the percent change.

Solution:

  • Difference: $3.00 - $3.60 = -$0.60
  • Divide: -$0.60 / $3.60 = -0.1667
  • Percentage: -0.1667 × 100 = -16.67% (decrease)

Example 5: Website Traffic

Problem: Monthly visitors changed from 50,000 to 65,000. Find the percent change.

Solution:

  • Difference: 65,000 - 50,000 = 15,000
  • Divide: 15,000 / 50,000 = 0.30
  • Percentage: 0.30 × 100 = +30% (increase)

About Percent Change

Percent change measures the relative change between two values, expressed as a percentage. It's one of the most commonly used calculations in finance, economics, and statistics to track how values change over time.

Key Differences from Other Calculations

  • Percent Change vs. Percent Increase: Percent change can be positive or negative, while percent increase specifically measures growth
  • Percent Change vs. Percent Difference: Percent change uses the original value as a reference, while percent difference uses the average of both values

Real-World Applications

  • Tracking stock market performance
  • Measuring economic indicators like inflation
  • Analyzing year-over-year business growth
  • Comparing test scores or performance metrics

Important Notes

  • A positive percent change indicates an increase
  • A negative percent change indicates a decrease
  • The original value cannot be zero
  • Percent change is always relative to the original value
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