Percentage Increase Calculator
Calculate percentage increase between two values
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📚 Examples, Rules & Help
⚡Quick Examples - Try These Calculations
🔍How It Works
Understanding the Formula
The percentage increase formula compares the change to the original value.
This shows the ratio of change to the original value, multiplied by 100 to get a percentage.
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Calculate the difference (New Value - Original Value)
Step 2: Divide by the absolute original value to get the ratio
Step 3: Multiply by 100 to convert to percentage
Interpreting Results
🌍Real-World Applications
❓Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between percentage increase and percentage of?
Percentage increase compares change between two values:
Percentage of finds what portion one number is of another:
Example: Going from 100 to 120 is a 20% increase. But 120 is 120% of 100.
Why can't the original value be zero?
Division by zero is mathematically undefined. You can't calculate a percentage change from nothing.
If you're starting from zero, consider using absolute change instead: "increased by 50 units" rather than "increased by X%".
How is this different from compound interest?
This calculator shows simple percentage change between two points.
Compound interest involves repeated percentage increases over time.
Use this for one-time comparisons, not growth over multiple periods.
Why do negative original values need absolute value?
When the original value is negative, using absolute value in the denominator gives more meaningful results.
For example, going from -10 to 5 using |−10| = 10 as the base shows a 150% increase, which better represents the magnitude of change.
Without absolute value, dividing by negative numbers can produce counterintuitive percentage signs.
What if I get a result over 100%?
Results over 100% are normal! They indicate the new value is more than double the original.
Example: Going from $50 to $150 is a 200% increase, meaning the new value is 3x the original.
This is common in business growth, stock performance, and other scenarios.
🎯Common Use Cases
💼 Business Analysis
- • Revenue growth quarter-over-quarter
- • Profit margin improvements
- • Customer acquisition rate changes
- • Market share evolution
📈 Investment Tracking
- • Stock price performance analysis
- • Portfolio returns calculation
- • Cryptocurrency gains/losses
- • Real estate value appreciation
🎓 Academic Progress
- • Grade improvements over time
- • Test score comparisons
- • Study efficiency measurement
- • Academic performance tracking
🏃 Personal Development
- • Fitness goal achievement
- • Weight management tracking
- • Skill improvement measurement
- • Habit formation progress