1. What is Percentage Change?

Percentage change measures the relative difference between an old value and a new value, expressed as a percentage. It's commonly used in finance, economics, and data analysis to track growth, decline, or variation over time.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percentage change formula:

Where:

• \( New \) — The new or current value
• \( Old \) — The original or previous value

Explanation: The formula calculates the relative difference between two values by finding the absolute change, dividing by the original value, and converting to a percentage.

3. Importance of Percentage Change Calculation

Details: Percentage change is essential for analyzing trends, comparing data over time, measuring performance improvements or declines, and making informed decisions based on relative changes rather than absolute numbers.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both old and new values. The old value cannot be zero (division by zero is undefined). Positive results indicate increase, negative results indicate decrease.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a negative percentage change mean?
A: A negative percentage change indicates a decrease from the old value to the new value.

Q2: Can percentage change be more than 100%?
A: Yes, if the new value is more than double the old value, the percentage change will exceed 100%.

Q3: What if the old value is zero?
A: Percentage change is undefined when the old value is zero, as it involves division by zero.

Q4: How is percentage change different from percentage difference?
A: Percentage change compares two values over time (from old to new), while percentage difference compares two distinct values at the same point in time.

Q5: When is percentage change most useful?
A: It's most useful when comparing relative changes across different scales or magnitudes, such as comparing growth rates of different companies or investments.