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Percentage Change Calculator

By Cedrick Reese · Reviewed August 2026

This percentage change calculator finds the difference between an old value and a new value, expressed as a percentage. Enter both below. It handles increases, decreases, and negative starting values automatically.

Percentage change measures how much a value went up or down, as a percentage of where it started. It works whether the value increased or decreased — the sign of the result tells you the direction.

Formula: Change % = ((New − Old) ÷ |Old|) × 100

Calculate percentage change

The starting number, before the change.

The ending number, after the change.

Percentage change

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The percentage change formula

Percentage change is the difference between an old value and a new value, expressed as a percentage of the old value:

Change % = ((New − Old) ÷ |Old|) × 100

Taking the absolute value of the old value in the denominator keeps the formula meaningful even when the starting value is negative — for example, going from −25 to 25.

Worked example

Suppose a product's price moves from $60 to $72. Using the formula:

Change % = ((72 − 60) ÷ |60|) × 100 = (12 ÷ 60) × 100 = 20%

A positive result means an increase. A negative result means a decrease — the sign of the answer already tells you the direction, so there's no need to track it separately.

Not sure if you want "change," "difference," or "points"?

These three terms get mixed up constantly, and using the wrong one can genuinely mislead whoever reads your result. If neither number is clearly the "before" value, you may actually want percentage difference instead. If you're comparing two percentages themselves (like an interest rate moving from 3% to 5%), you may want percentage points.

Read the full breakdown: percentage change vs. percentage difference vs. percentage points →

Frequently asked questions

Is percentage change the same as percentage increase?

When the result comes out positive, yes — a percentage increase is just the case where percentage change happens to be positive. When it's negative, that's a percentage decrease. Both use the identical formula.

Why do you use the absolute value of the old value?

Taking |Old| in the denominator keeps the formula meaningful when the starting value is negative — for example, going from −25 to 25. Without it, a negative starting value would flip the sign of the result and give a misleading answer.

Can percentage change be more than 100%?

Yes. If the new value is more than double the old value, the change exceeds 100%. For example, going from 10 to 25 is a 150% increase.

What happens if the old value is 0?

Percentage change is undefined when the starting value is zero, since the formula would divide by zero. The calculator on this page flags this case directly rather than showing a misleading number.

Sources

Calculators

Percentage Increase Calculator Find how much a value went up, as a percentage of where it started. Percentage Decrease Calculator Find how much a value went down, as a percentage of where it started. Percent Off Calculator Find the sale price and dollar savings from a discount percentage. Sales Tax Calculator Add or remove sales tax from a price. Percentage of a Number Calculator Find what a percentage of a number equals, or what percent one number is of another. Percentage Difference Calculator Compare two values fairly when neither one is the original. Reverse Percentage Calculator Find the original value before a discount, tax, or increase was applied.

Guides

Percentage Change in Excel The exact Excel formula for percentage change, with the IFERROR pattern for zero values. Percentage Change in Google Sheets The same formula adapted for Google Sheets, with the Sheets-specific formatting steps. How to Calculate Percentage Change: Step-by-Step Guide The four-step manual method, with worked examples including a negative starting value. Percentage Change vs. Difference vs. Points How these three related but distinct measures differ, with a formula for each. Understanding Year-over-Year (YoY) Percentage Change The YoY formula, the same-period matching rule, and how it compares to MoM and QoQ.

This calculator is provided for general informational purposes and is not financial, tax, or professional advice. Verify important decisions with a qualified professional.

Cedrick Reese, Founder

I'm Cedrick Reese, a retired veteran and web developer who built PercentageChangeCalculators.com as part of Ready Utilities, my collection of free, user-friendly online tools. My journey began in the early 2000s with affiliate marketing and niche site development, which grew into a passion for creating practical digital utilities and calculators. After retiring, I earned a Computer Systems Technician certificate from UEI College, completed Electro-Mechanical Technologies at Tulsa Welding School, and finished the Carpentry program at Florida State College at Jacksonville. Today, I combine my technical background and craftsmanship by building furniture using traditional woodworking methods, gardening, and developing helpful online tools for users worldwide.