1. What is Percentage Change?

Percentage change measures how much a value has increased or decreased relative to its original value. It's commonly used to track growth or decay in financial, scientific, and statistical applications.

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 relative difference between two values as a percentage of the original value.

3. Importance of Percentage Change

Details: Percentage change is crucial for comparing changes across different scales, analyzing trends, and making data-driven decisions in business, economics, and research.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the original value and the new value. The calculator will show the percentage increase (positive result) or decrease (negative result).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a negative percentage mean?
A: A negative percentage indicates a decrease from the original value, while positive indicates an increase.

Q2: What if my original value is zero?
A: The calculation is undefined when the original value is zero since division by zero is not possible.

Q3: How is this different from percentage difference?
A: Percentage change compares a new value to an old value, while percentage difference compares any two values without directionality.

Q4: Can I use this for multiple periods?
A: For multiple periods, you might want to calculate compound growth rate instead of simple percentage change.

Q5: What are common applications?
A: Common uses include tracking stock performance, sales growth, population changes, and scientific measurements.