Percentage Change
Enter an original and a new value to see the percentage change, plus the distinctions that trip people up most often.
Percent and percentage point are not the same
A rating moving from 40% to 44% is a rise of 4 percentage points and also a rise of 10 percent. Mixing the two makes a change sound far larger or smaller than it is.
Up then down does not return to the start
100 rises 20% to 120; a 20% fall from there lands on 96, not 100. The second percentage is measured against 120. Getting back to 100 requires a fall of 1 ÷ 1.2 = 0.8333, that is 16.67%.
Fall needed to undo an x% rise = x ÷ (100 + x) × 100Worked examples
| Old | New | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 120 | +20% |
| 100 | 80 | -20% |
| 50 | 75 | +50% |
| 200 | 150 | -25% |
| 1,000 | 1,250 | +25% |
| 3,000 | 2,400 | -20% |
| 10,000 | 13,000 | +30% |
| 50,000 | 42,000 | -16% |
A starting value of zero has no percentage change
The formula divides by the original value, so it is undefined when that value is 0. This is why a move from 0 to 10 is reported as an absolute change of +10 rather than an infinite percentage.
Open Percent CalculatorFrequently asked questions
How do I calculate percentage change?
Subtract the old value from the new one, divide by the old value, then multiply by 100. From 100 to 120 is +20%.
What is the difference between percent and percentage point?
A move from 40% to 44% is 4 percentage points and 10 percent. The gap between rates is measured in points; the change in a rate is measured in percent.
Does a 20% rise then a 20% fall return to the start?
No. 100 becomes 120 and then 96. Undoing the rise takes a 16.67% fall.
All calculations on this page run in your browser. Your input is never sent to a server.