Percentage Increase Calculator
Calculate the percent change between two values.
Results update as you type.
How it works
Percent change captures how much a value has grown or shrunk compared with where it started, expressed as a proportion of that original amount. Because it is relative rather than absolute, a rise of 50 means very different things against a base of 200 than against a base of 5,000, and the percentage tells you which. The percentage increase calculator measures this by subtracting the original value from the new value, dividing that gap by the original, and multiplying by 100. Moving from 200 to 250 produces a 50 difference over a base of 200, which is a 25% increase; a negative result signals a decrease instead. Anchoring the change to the starting value is what makes the method meaningful, because growth is almost always judged against the point it grew from. That framing is why the same tool doubles as a percentage decrease calculator: the arithmetic is identical and only the sign flips. A percentage increase calculator keeps the direction and the magnitude in one figure. Analysts use it for revenue and price growth, scientists for measured change between readings, and everyday users for pay rises, rent hikes and portfolio swings. Whenever a before-and-after pair needs a single comparable number, this percentage increase calculator supplies it cleanly.
change (%) = ((new − original) ÷ |original|) × 100
Subtracting the original from the new value isolates the raw amount of change, here 250 minus 200, a gap of 50. Dividing that gap by the original expresses it as a fraction of the starting point, and multiplying by 100 states it as a percent. Using the original as the denominator is deliberate: growth is measured against where it began, so 50 over 200 becomes a 25% increase.
Source:Standard arithmetic
We review all our tools from time to time to ensure accuracy.
Worked example
How to use this calculator
- 1
Enter your values
Enter original value and new value.
- 2
Adjust the options
Fine-tune any options to match your situation.
- 3
Read your result
Percent change updates instantly as you type — no button to press.
Frequently asked questions
What is percent change?
Percent change is the size of an increase or decrease written as a percentage of the original value. It answers how much something grew or fell relative to its starting point rather than in raw units. Reporting a move from 200 to 250 as a 25% increase is more informative than saying it rose by 50, because the percentage already accounts for the base the change is measured against.
How do I calculate percentage increase?
Subtract the original value from the new value, divide the result by the original, then multiply by 100. Going from 200 to 250 gives a difference of 50; dividing 50 by 200 gives 0.25, and multiplying by 100 gives a 25% increase. The same three steps handle a decrease automatically, since a smaller new value makes the difference negative and the percentage falls below zero.
What does a negative result mean?
A negative percentage means the value dropped rather than rose, so the calculator is reporting a decrease. The magnitude still works the same way, measured against the original amount. Because the formula subtracts the original from the new value, any new value lower than the original produces a negative numerator and therefore a negative percent, which is the signal that the quantity shrank.
Is percentage increase the same as percentage difference?
No. Percentage increase is measured against the original value and carries a direction, so reversing the two numbers changes the answer. Percentage difference divides by the average of the two values and ignores direction, giving the same result whichever way you enter them. Use percentage increase when one number is clearly a starting point and the other an outcome; use percentage difference when neither comes first.
Can I use it to calculate a percentage decrease?
Yes. The formula is identical for decreases: enter the original value first and the smaller new value second, and the result comes out negative to show the drop. Falling from 250 back to 200 gives a difference of minus 50 over a base of 250, which is a 20% decrease. Note that a rise and the matching fall are not equal percentages, because each is measured against a different starting value.