Percentage Change Calculator
Percentage change measures how much a value grew or shrank relative to where it started. Enter the old and new numbers to see the change as a percentage, with its direction and the raw difference.
Your numbers
Result
- Absolute change
- 50
- Direction
- Increase
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Old value | 200 |
| New value | 250 |
| Absolute change | +50 |
| Percentage change | +25% |
How to calculate percentage change
Subtract the old value from the new, divide by the old value, and multiply by 100: (new − old) ÷ old × 100. Going from 200 to 250 is (250 − 200) ÷ 200 × 100 = +25%. A negative result means a decrease — 200 down to 150 is −25%.
Why increases and decreases are not symmetric
A rise and the equal-looking fall are not the same size, because the base changes. A 50% drop from 200 lands at 100; getting back to 200 from 100 needs a 100% rise, not 50%. This is why a stock that falls 50% must double just to recover — the percentages measure against different starting points.
Percent change vs percentage points
Be careful with percentages of percentages. If an interest rate moves from 4% to 6%, that is a rise of 2 percentage points, but a 50% percentage change. News headlines often blur the two; this calculator reports the percentage change of the numbers you enter.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
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