1. What is Percent Decrease?

Percent decrease measures the reduction in a quantity relative to its original size, expressed as a percentage. It's commonly used to track declines in prices, values, or performance metrics over time.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percent decrease formula:

Where:

• Old Value — The original or starting value
• New Value — The current or reduced value

Explanation: The formula calculates what percentage of the original value has been lost in the reduction.

3. Importance of Percent Decrease Calculation

Details: Percent decrease is widely used in finance (price reductions), business (sales declines), science (concentration changes), and performance tracking (productivity changes).

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both old and new values as positive numbers. The old value must be greater than zero. The calculator will show negative results if the new value is actually larger (indicating an increase).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between percent decrease and absolute decrease?
A: Absolute decrease is the simple difference (Old - New), while percent decrease shows this difference relative to the original size.

Q2: Can the result be negative?
A: Yes, a negative result indicates a percent increase rather than decrease.

Q3: How is percent decrease different from percentage points?
A: Percentage points measure absolute difference between percentages, while percent decrease measures relative change from an original value.

Q4: What if my old value was zero?
A: The calculation is undefined when old value is zero, as you cannot divide by zero.

Q5: How precise are the results?
A: Results are rounded to two decimal places for readability while maintaining reasonable precision.