Percentage change calculator
From one value to another, how much has it gone up or down in percent? And how many times one is of the other.
Your figures
Result
- As a percentage
- 25.00%
- Absolute difference
- 300.00
- The end value, relative to the start (times)
- 1.250
- Going back from end to start would be
- -20.00%
What we assume
- The change is always measured against the starting value, which is the reference point.
- With negative values the absolute value of the start is used, because the sign would make the percentage meaningless.
- You cannot start from zero: any increase from zero would be infinite.
How it is calculated
Percentage change measures the relative move against the starting point:
change = (end - start) / start x 100
The thing to understand is that the reference is the starting value. That is why the same move gives different percentages depending on which direction you look at it, and why we also show the reverse change.
Why this confuses so many people
If a price goes from 100 to 125, it has risen 25%. But going back from 125 to 100 is not a 25% fall, it is a 20% one. Both numbers describe the same jump; what changes is the base it is measured against.
It is the trick behind a "50% off" after a 100% rise: it leaves you exactly where you started.
An example
From 1,200 to 1,500 is a 25% rise, that is 300 more. The end value is 1.25 times the start. Going back the other way is a 20% fall.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the fall smaller than the rise for the same move?
Because the base is bigger on the way back. Going from 100 to 150 is +50% over 100; going from 150 to 100 is -33% over 150. Same 50 units, different reference.
What is the difference between percent and percentage points?
Going from 5% to 6% is a rise of one percentage point, but of 20 percent. Newspaper headlines mix the two constantly, usually in whichever direction sounds more dramatic.
Can I use it with negative values?
Yes, but read it carefully: with a negative starting value the sign of the change flips its meaning, so we use the absolute value of the start as the base.
Keep calculating
All tools →- Percentage calculatorEnter a percentage and a number. Instead of making you pick an operation first, we give you all four answers at once.
- Stacked discount calculator50% and then an extra 20% is not 70%. Here you see the real final price and the single discount you are actually being given.
- What percentage one amount representsTwo numbers, and we tell you what percentage the first is of the second. With the remainder and the ratio in plain language.
Updated on 2026-08-26. Calculations run in your browser; nothing you type is sent to a server.