1. What is Percentage Increase?

Percentage increase measures the relative growth from an original value to a new value, expressed as a percentage. It's commonly used in finance, economics, statistics, and everyday calculations to track growth and changes over time.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percentage increase formula:

Where:

• \( New \) — The new or current value
• \( Old \) — The original or previous value

Explanation: The formula calculates the difference between new and old values, divides by the original value to get the relative change, then multiplies by 100 to convert to percentage.

3. Importance of Percentage Increase Calculation

Details: Percentage increase is essential for analyzing growth rates, performance metrics, price changes, investment returns, and statistical trends across various fields including business, economics, and scientific research.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both new and old values in the same units. Ensure values are positive numbers greater than zero for accurate calculations.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between percentage increase and percentage change?
A: Percentage increase specifically measures growth, while percentage change can be positive (increase) or negative (decrease).

Q2: Can percentage increase be negative?
A: No, percentage increase is always positive. A negative result would indicate a decrease, which should be calculated as percentage decrease.

Q3: What if the old value is zero?
A: The calculation is undefined when the old value is zero, as division by zero is mathematically impossible.

Q4: How is percentage increase used in real life?
A: Common applications include calculating salary raises, investment returns, population growth, sales increases, and inflation rates.

Q5: What's considered a good percentage increase?
A: This depends on context. In business, higher percentages are generally better, but what's considered "good" varies by industry and specific circumstances.