1. What is Percentage Change?

Percentage change measures the degree of change over time expressed as a percentage. It's used to compare the relative change between an old and new value in various fields like finance, economics, and science.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percentage change formula:

Where:

• \( New \) — The new or current value
• \( Old \) — The original or previous value

Explanation: The formula calculates the difference between new and old values relative to the old value, then converts it to a percentage.

3. Importance of Percentage Change

Details: Percentage change is crucial for analyzing growth rates, price changes, performance metrics, and comparing changes between different sized datasets.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both old and new values. The old value cannot be zero (division by zero is undefined). Values can be positive or negative.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a negative percentage change mean?
A: A negative percentage indicates a decrease from the old value to the new value.

Q2: How is percentage change different from percentage difference?
A: Percentage change compares two values over time, while percentage difference compares two simultaneous values.

Q3: What if my old value is zero?
A: The calculation is undefined when old value is zero, as you cannot divide by zero.

Q4: Can percentage change be more than 100%?
A: Yes, when the new value is more than double the old value, the percentage change exceeds 100%.

Q5: How is percentage change used in finance?
A: It's commonly used to calculate investment returns, stock price changes, and economic growth rates.