Example 1 — Salary raise
- Old value: $5,000
- New value: $5,750
+15.00%
A classic $750 raise on a $5,000 salary — a 15% increase.
Percentage change — increase and decrease
Enter an old and a new value — you’ll instantly see the percent up or down, plus the plain numeric difference.
We run (new − old) ÷ |old| × 100%. Positive = increase, negative = decrease. Handy for raises, prices, traffic, or sales.
Result
Enter an old and a new value.
How results are calculated
Percentage change: (new value − old value) ÷ |old value| × 100%.
A positive result means things went up, a negative one means they went down. The numeric difference is just new minus old — no percentages involved.
How to use the calculator
- Enter the old (starting) value.
- Enter the new (current) value.
- Click Calculate or watch the live result as you type.
- Check the bar below the form — it shows at a glance how big that increase or decrease really is.
Usage examples
Example 2 — Price drop
- Old value: $250
- New value: $200
−20.00%
A product discounted from $250 to $200 — a one-fifth decrease.
Example 3 — Website traffic growth
- Old value: 12,000 visits
- New value: 18,000 visits
+50.00%
Traffic grew one and a half times over — a typical result after a marketing campaign.
FAQ
How do you calculate percentage change?
(new − old) ÷ |old| × 100%. Plus means up, minus means down.
Why use the absolute value of the old number?
So the sign always shows direction — even if the old number were negative. For salaries and prices you’ll usually enter a positive anyway.
What if the old value is zero?
You can’t — that’s dividing by zero. The calculator errors out instead of inventing a result.
How is this different from percentage points?
Percentage change is relative (10% → 15% = +50%). Percentage points are the raw gap (10% → 15% = +5 pp). The media mixes them up constantly.
How do I figure a salary raise in %?
Old pay → old value, new pay → new value. You’ll get the percent increase (or drop).
What if the result comes out negative?
A decrease — e.g. −20% means the new value is one-fifth lower.
Can I use big numbers and decimals?
Yes — positive, negative, whole, or fractional; comma or dot.
What else is this good for?
Prices, site traffic, sales, metrics — anywhere you’re comparing two values over time.