Percentage Change Calculator

± % Change
Find the percent change between two numbers Live result
From to
% change = (New − Old) ÷ Old × 100
Examples:
Result Increase
+30%
50 → 65
Change+15
Multiplier× 1.3
New ÷ old130%
To undo−23.08%
Formula: % change = (New − Old) ÷ Old × 100
Step-by-Step:

A percentage change calculator shows how much a number grew or shrank as a percent of where it started. Enter an old and a new value to get the percent increase or decrease, or enter a number and a percent to raise or lower it, with the multiplier and the percent that would undo the change.

Percentage Change Formulas

One formula measures a change. Two more apply a change. All three compare against the starting value.

Percent Change

"A price went from $50 to $65."

(New − Old) ÷ Old × 100
(65 − 50) ÷ 50 × 100=+30%

Increase by a Percent

"Raise $80 by 25%."

Old × (1 + Percent ÷ 100)
80 × 1.25=100

Decrease by a Percent

"Take 25% off $60."

Old × (1 − Percent ÷ 100)
60 × 0.75=45
Always divide by the old value From 50 to 65 is a 30% increase (15 ÷ 50). Dividing by the new value instead (15 ÷ 65) gives 23.08%, which is the size of the drop from 65 back to 50, a different question.

How to Use the Percentage Change Calculator

Measure or apply a change in 4 steps.

  1. Pick a Mode

    % change from A to B measures a change. Increase and Decrease apply one.

  2. Type the Two Numbers

    Old value first, then the new value or the percent.

  3. Read the Result

    The badge says whether it is an increase or a decrease. Press Enter or Calculate any time.

  4. Check the Extras

    The change as an amount, the multiplier, and the percent that would take you back to the start.

Why +20% Then −20% Isn't Zero

The second percent is taken from a different number, so equal-sized ups and downs don't cancel.

Up 20%, then down 20% The drop is 20% of 120, not of 100
Ends at 96
start: 100
100 × 1.2 = 120
120 × 0.8 = 96
96
Up 20%, then down 16.67% 20 ÷ 120 × 100 = 16.67%
Back to 100
start: 100
100 × 1.2 = 120
120 × (1 − 0.1667) ≈ 100
100

Multipliers and How to Undo Them

Multiply by the multiplier to apply a change. The last column is the change that takes you back to the start.

Change Multiply by To undo it
+5%1.05−4.76%
+10%1.1−9.09%
+25%1.25−20%
+50%1.5−33.33%
+100%2−50%
−10%0.9+11.11%
−20%0.8+25%
−25%0.75+33.33%
−50%0.5+100%
Back-to-back changes multiply Two 10% increases are not a 20% increase: 1.1 × 1.1 = 1.21, so the total is 21%. Multiply the multipliers, then subtract 1 to get the combined change.

Percentage Change on a 4 Function Calculator

A basic calculator works one step at a time, so do the subtraction first.

50 → 65

65−50=then÷50×100=
30percent increase

Increase 80 by 25%

80×1.25=
100

Decrease 60 by 25%

60×0.75=
45
Why subtract first? Typing 65 − 50 ÷ 50 × 100 = straight through on a basic calculator works left to right, so it happens to give 30 here. On a scientific calculator, which follows the order of operations, the same keys give −35 (65 − 100). Pressing = after the subtraction gives the right answer on both.

Percentage Change Examples

Prices, pay, scores and savings all change by percents.

Price Rise

Gas goes from $3.20 to $3.60 a gallon.

0.40 ÷ 3.20 × 100=+12.5%

Pay Raise

A $52,000 salary gets a 4% raise.

52000 × 1.04=$54,080

Sale Price

A $250 TV is 40% off. (Stacking coupons? Use the Percent Off Calculator.)

250 × 0.6=$150

Test Score Improvement

A score goes from 68 to 85.

17 ÷ 68 × 100=+25%

Website Visitors

Monthly visitors fall from 12,000 to 9,000.

−3000 ÷ 12000 × 100=−25%

Savings Growth

An account grows from $1,500 to $1,800.

300 ÷ 1500 × 100=+20%
Related guides

Read Percent Change vs Percentage Points to avoid the most common percent mix-up, or start with How to Calculate a Percentage.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate percentage change?

Subtract the old value from the new value, divide by the old value, and multiply by 100. From 50 to 65: (65 − 50) ÷ 50 × 100 = 30%, a 30% increase.

How do I increase a number by a percentage?

Multiply the number by 1 plus the percent as a decimal. To increase 80 by 25%, multiply 80 × 1.25 = 100.

How do I decrease a number by a percentage?

Multiply the number by 1 minus the percent as a decimal. To decrease 60 by 25%, multiply 60 × 0.75 = 45.

Why doesn't a 20% decrease undo a 20% increase?

Because the second percent is taken from a different number. 100 increased by 20% is 120, and 20% of 120 is 24, so decreasing 120 by 20% gives 96. To get back to 100 you need a 16.67% decrease.

Can percentage change be more than 100%?

Yes, for increases. Going from 40 to 100 is a 150% increase. A decrease can never be more than 100%, because a 100% decrease already brings a positive number to zero.

What if the old value is zero?

Percentage change is undefined when the old value is 0, because the formula divides by the old value. Describe the change as an amount instead, for example "up from 0 to 12".