Percentage Change Calculator

See how much a value has moved in percent terms. Enter the original and the new figure, then press Calculate to get the percent increase or decrease, the raw difference and the direction.

Written by TopicDrill Editorial Team·Updated June 2026

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Old versus new

+25%

How the percentage change calculator works

Percentage change tells you how big a move is relative to where it started, not just in raw units. The tool subtracts the old value from the new one to get the difference, then expresses that difference as a share of the original value and scales it to 100.

The two bars put the old and new figures next to each other so the size of the shift is easy to read at a glance. The headline turns green for an increase and red for a decrease, with a plus or minus sign on the percent.

A quick example

A subscription rises from $120 to $150. The difference is $30, and $30 divided by 120 is 0.25, so the price went up 25 percent. If it later fell back from $150 to $120, that same $30 over the new base of 150 would be a 20 percent decrease, not 25.

Things to keep in mind

Always be clear which figure is the starting point, because swapping old and new flips the result. Percentage change can also exaggerate moves from a tiny base, so check the absolute difference too. For context on common pitfalls, see this note on relative change. For one-off percent math, try our percentage calculator.

Frequently asked questions

What is the percentage change formula?

Percentage change is the new value minus the old value, divided by the absolute value of the old value, then multiplied by 100. A positive answer is an increase and a negative answer is a decrease.

Why must the old value not be zero?

The formula divides by the old value, and dividing by zero is undefined. There is also no meaningful percent change from nothing to something, so the calculator asks for a non-zero starting value.

What is the difference between percent change and percent difference?

Percent change measures movement from a known starting point to an ending point, so the order matters. Percent difference compares two values without a clear before and after, dividing by their average instead of by the first value.

How do I reverse a percentage change?

A decrease and the matching increase are not equal because they use different bases. If a price falls 20 percent it must rise 25 percent to return to the original, since the rise is measured against the lower amount.

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