Percentage Change Calculator
Calculate percentage increase or decrease between two values. Shows percentage change, absolute change and direction instantly.
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Percentage Change
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Absolute Change
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Direction
Formula
Find Original or New Value
Frequently Asked Questions
How is percentage change calculated?
Percentage change = ((New Value − Old Value) / |Old Value|) × 100. A positive result means an increase; a negative result means a decrease.
What is the difference between percentage change and percentage difference?
Percentage change compares a new value to an old/reference value (directional). Percentage difference compares two values without a reference direction, using their average as the base: |(V1 − V2)| / ((V1 + V2)/2) × 100.
How do I calculate the original value from a percentage change?
If you know the new value and the percentage change: Original = New Value / (1 + (% change / 100)). For example, if ₦1,200 is a 20% increase on the original, the original = 1200 / 1.20 = ₦1,000.
How do businesses in Nigeria use percentage change?
Businesses use percentage change to track revenue growth, monitor inflation impact on costs, measure profit changes, and compare year-on-year performance. For example, comparing January and February sales, or tracking naira depreciation against the dollar.
What is a common mistake when calculating percentage change?
Using the new value as the denominator instead of the old value. Always divide by the original (old) value, not the new one. Also, note that a 50% increase followed by a 50% decrease does not return to the original value — it results in a 25% net decrease.