1. What is Percentage Decrease?

Percentage decrease measures the reduction in a value relative to its original amount, expressed as a percentage. It's commonly used to track declines in prices, quantities, or performance metrics.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percentage decrease formula:

Where:

• \( Old \) — Original value
• \( New \) — New value after decrease

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

3. Importance of Percentage Decrease Calculation

Details: Percentage decrease is vital in business for tracking sales declines, in finance for monitoring investment losses, and in science for measuring reductions in experimental values.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the original (old) value and the new value. Both must be positive numbers, with the old value greater than zero.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between percentage decrease and absolute decrease?
A: Absolute decrease shows the raw difference (Old - New), while percentage decrease shows this difference relative to the original value.

Q2: Can percentage decrease be more than 100%?
A: Yes, if the new value is negative (representing a complete reversal beyond zero), the decrease can exceed 100%.

Q3: How is percentage decrease different from percentage change?
A: Percentage change can be positive (increase) or negative (decrease), while percentage decrease always shows a reduction.

Q4: What does a 0% decrease mean?
A: It means there's no change - the new value is exactly equal to the old value.

Q5: Why use percentage instead of absolute numbers?
A: Percentages allow comparison between different scales and magnitudes by standardizing changes relative to their starting points.