Percentage change or percentage points?
Choose the correct comparison for two amounts or two percentages.
Compare amounts using the original value
Percentage change divides the difference by the original amount, then multiplies by 100. A change from 80 to 100 is (100 − 80) ÷ 80 × 100 = 25%.
Reversing the same amounts gives a different percentage: from 100 to 80 is a 20% decrease. The denominator changed. A starting value of zero cannot give a finite percentage change.
Subtract rates to get percentage points
A rate moving from 10% to 15% rises by 5 percentage points. Relative to its original rate, it rises by 50%. Both statements describe the same movement using different denominators.
Use percentage points when you want the direct difference between rates. Use percentage change when you want the change relative to the original rate, and name that original rate.
Write the question before entering the numbers
The percentage calculator includes common phrasings for finding a percentage of an amount, recovering the whole, comparing two amounts, and increasing or decreasing an amount. Choose the wording that matches the task before filling in A and B.