1. What is Percentage Reduction?

Percentage reduction measures how much a quantity has decreased relative to its original value, expressed as a percentage. It's commonly used in finance, statistics, science, and business to track changes over time.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percentage reduction formula:

Where:

• \( Old \) — Original value before reduction
• \( New \) — Reduced value after change

Explanation: The formula calculates the difference between old and new values, divides by the original value to get a proportion, then converts to percentage by multiplying by 100.

3. Importance of Percentage Reduction

Details: Percentage reduction is crucial for comparing changes across different scales, analyzing trends, measuring performance improvements, and evaluating cost savings or efficiency gains.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the original (old) value and the new value. Both must be positive numbers, and the old value must be greater than zero. The new value should be less than or equal to the old value for a reduction.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a negative percentage reduction mean?
A: A negative result indicates an increase rather than a reduction (new value is greater than old value).

Q2: How is percentage reduction different from percentage change?
A: Percentage reduction specifically measures decreases, while percentage change can be either positive (increase) or negative (decrease).

Q3: What's the maximum possible percentage reduction?
A: The maximum is 100%, which occurs when the new value is zero (complete elimination).

Q4: When should I use percentage reduction vs absolute reduction?
A: Use percentage reduction when comparing changes across different scales; use absolute reduction when the actual numerical difference matters more.

Q5: Can percentage reduction be greater than 100%?
A: No, unless the new value is negative (which may not make sense in many contexts).