Percentage change or percentage points?

Moving from 4% to 5% is one percentage point, but a 25% change. Rates use points; quantities use percentage change.

Why is the reverse change different?

Each percentage is measured against a different base. A rise of 25% is undone by a fall of 20%, because the fall is measured against the larger number.

Everyday

Percentage change calculator

Increase, decrease and the difference between them.

Your numbers

Original value

New value

Increase

24%

250 → 310

Absolute difference: 60
Multiplier: 1.24×
To reverse it: -19.35%; applied to the new value
New value as % of old: 124%

How to read the result

A 50% drop followed by a 50% rise does not get you back to where you started. Percentages are not symmetric, and that trips people up constantly.

Enter two values to get the change, the multiplier and the reverse change needed to undo it.

Worked example

Using the values the form starts with.

Increase

24%

Absolute difference: 60
Multiplier: 1.24×
To reverse it: -19.35%
New value as % of old: 124%

Questions people ask

Percentage change or percentage points?: Moving from 4% to 5% is one percentage point, but a 25% change. Rates use points; quantities use percentage change.
Why is the reverse change different?: Each percentage is measured against a different base. A rise of 25% is undone by a fall of 20%, because the fall is measured against the larger number.