Percentage Change Calculator: Measure Relative Change

What is Percentage Change?

Percentage change is a mathematical concept that measures the relative change between two values over time or between different scenarios. It expresses the difference as a percentage of the initial value, allowing for easy comparison of changes across different scales or contexts.

How to Calculate Percentage Change

To calculate percentage change:

• Determine the initial value and the final value
• Calculate the difference between the final and initial values
• Divide the difference by the initial value
• Multiply the result by 100 to convert to a percentage

Formula

The formula for percentage change is:

\[ \text{Percentage Change} = \frac{\text{Final Value} - \text{Initial Value}}{\text{Initial Value}} \times 100\% \]

Calculation Steps

1. Identify the initial value and final value
2. Subtract the initial value from the final value
3. Divide the result by the initial value
4. Multiply by 100 to convert to a percentage
5. Interpret the result: positive for an increase, negative for a decrease

Example

Let's calculate the percentage change from an initial value of 50 to a final value of 75

1. Initial value: 50, Final value: 75
2. Difference: 75 - 50 = 25
3. Divide by initial value: 25 / 50 = 0.5
4. Convert to percentage: 0.5 × 100% = 50%
5. Result: The percentage change is a 50% increase

Visual representation of 50% increase from 50 to 75