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Percentage Change Calculator
By: Conor Keenan, AWMA®
Editorial Independence: Our recommendations and reviews are our own. Partner commissions may help keep our site free and do not influence our editorial content.
Measure an increase or decrease
Uses the original value as the baseline. Enter a positive original value and a finite new value in the same units. This result is not annualized.
Result:
Percentage change: 0.00%
Direction:
Calculate the percentage increase or decrease from an original value to a new value. Enter a positive original value and the new value to see the size and direction of the change. The calculator uses the original value as the baseline.
For example, a price rising from $80 to $100 increases by 25%. Reversing the order gives a 20% decrease because the baseline changes.
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In This Article
Key Takeaways
- Percentage change measures movement relative to the original value.
- The tool shows the size of the change together with an increase, decrease or no-change label.
- A zero starting value has no defined percentage change under this formula.
- Use a positive starting value here. Negative baselines need more context than an increase or decrease percentage can provide.
How to calculate percentage increase or decrease
- Enter the original value. Use the earlier value or the value you are comparing against. It must be greater than zero.
- Enter the new value. Use the same units and a comparable measurement period. The new value may be zero or negative.
- Select Calculate. Read the percentage together with the increase, decrease or no-change label.
Use this tool for changes in a positive price, balance, payment or other comparable amount. It does not annualize a return or distinguish growth from money added to an account.
Percentage change formula
Percentage change = (new value − original value) ÷ original value × 100
For 75 increasing to 90, the difference is 15. Divide 15 by the original 75, then multiply by 100: 20%. For a decline, the same calculation produces a negative result. OpenStax’s financial-statement analysis guide uses the base-period amount to calculate percentage change.
| Original value | New value | Percentage change |
|---|---|---|
| 75 | 90 | 20% increase |
| 100 | 80 | 20% decrease |
| 80 | 100 | 25% increase |
| 8,000 | 6,000 | 25% decrease |
| 5,000 | 7,500 | 50% increase |
| 100 | 100 | 0% — no change |
| 100 | 0 | 100% decrease |
| 100 | −20 | 120% decrease |
A decrease can exceed 100% when the new value is negative. For example, moving from a $100 profit to a $20 loss is a $120 drop. Report the actual amounts alongside the percentage so the result remains understandable.
Why a loss and a recovery use different percentages
A 20% decline followed by a 20% increase does not restore the starting value. Starting at 100, a 20% decline leaves 80. Increasing 80 by 20% gives 96. Returning from 80 to 100 requires a 25% increase.
The denominator changes each time. This is also why the order of your inputs matters.
Percentage change, percentage difference and percentage points
Use percentage change for an ordered comparison with a positive baseline. Use percentage difference when neither value is the starting point; our percentage difference calculator uses the average magnitude of the pair.
Use percentage points to describe the direct gap between two percentages. A rate moving from 4% to 5% rises by 1 percentage point. Relative to the original 4%, it increases by 25%. The Office for National Statistics’ percentage guidance explains this distinction.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if the original value is zero?
The formula would divide by zero, so the percentage change is undefined. A rise from $0 to $50 is a $50 increase; it does not have a finite percentage increase under this formula. Two zeros also have no defined percentage change.
Can I start with a negative value?
This calculator requires a positive original value. Applying the usual formula to a negative baseline can produce a sign that conflicts with the direction of the values. For a change from a loss to a smaller loss or a profit, show both amounts and the dollar change instead of relying on a percentage label.
Is this an investment return calculator?
It measures a change between two values. Deposits, withdrawals, fees and the time between measurements can affect what that change means. A balance increase alone does not establish investment performance.
Can I calculate a change across several years?
Yes, if you want the total percentage change between the two endpoints and the original value is positive. The result is not an average annual growth rate. For hypothetical balance growth over time, use the compound interest calculator with its stated assumptions.
Browse our financial calculators for other planning tools.
*National Savings Rate Average as published by FDIC