Percentage Increase Calculator
Calculate the percentage change between any two numbers. Works for increases and decreases.
Percentage change
+25.00%
100.00 → 125.00 (+25.00)
The formula
Percentage change measures how much a value has grown or shrunk relative to its starting point. It's the same formula whether the number moves up or down — only the sign of the result changes.
Worked examples
Follower growth: 1,200 → 1,500
(1500 − 1200) ÷ 1200 × 100 = +25%
Engagement drop: 4.2% → 3.1%
(3.1 − 4.2) ÷ 4.2 × 100 = −26.19%
Revenue climb: $8,500 → $12,400
(12400 − 8500) ÷ 8500 × 100 = +45.88%
Common pitfalls
- Swapping original and new. The original value always goes in the denominator. Reversing them changes both the sign and the magnitude of the result.
- Confusing percentage with percentage points. A conversion rate moving from 2% to 4% is +2 percentage points, but that's +100% in relative change.
- Assuming symmetry. A 50% increase followed by a 50% decrease does not return to the starting value — the percentages apply to different bases.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Percentage Increase = ((New − Original) ÷ Original) × 100. If the result is positive, it's an increase; negative means a decrease. A value of 0 means no change.
Subtract the original from the new value, divide by the original, then multiply by 100. Example: going from 200 to 250. Difference is 50. 50 ÷ 200 = 0.25. Multiplied by 100 = 25% increase.
They're the same math. 'Percentage change' is the neutral term — it can be positive or negative. 'Percentage increase' is used when the value goes up, 'percentage decrease' when it goes down.
Same formula — the result just comes out negative. From 400 to 300: (300 − 400) ÷ 400 × 100 = −25%. That's a 25% decrease.
Because percentages compound on different bases. 100 → 150 (+50%) → 75 (−50% of 150). You lose more going down than you gained going up, because the 50% decrease applies to a larger number.
Yes, but the interpretation shifts. The tool uses the absolute value of the original as the denominator so the percentage stays intuitive even when comparing numbers across zero.