What's the difference between percentage increase and percent change?

Percentage increase only goes up. Percent change can be positive or negative, showing any change.

How do I calculate percent change?

Formula: ((End Value - Start Value) / Start Value) × 100. Result can be positive (increase) or negative (decrease).

Stock price from $100 to $120 = +20% change. From $100 to $80 = -20% change.

Calculate the percentage change between two values, including gains and losses

Start Value

End Value

Percent Change

+20.00%

Increase

Absolute Change

+20.00

Formula: ((End Value - Start Value) / Start Value) × 100. Result can be positive or negative.

Shows both direction (up/down) and magnitude of change, unlike other percentage calculators.

Stock $100 to $120 = +20%. Stock $100 to $80 = -20%. Works for any metric.

Percent change shows the magnitude and direction of change from a starting value to an ending value.

Last updated: February 2026

What's the difference between increase and percent change?

Increase only shows positive changes. Percent change works for both increases and decreases, showing direction.

Can I use this for stock prices?

Yes! This is perfect for calculating stock price changes, cryptocurrency moves, and other financial metrics.

Does order matter?

Yes! Start value first, end value second. Reversing them will flip the sign of the result.

Explore more calculators and converters for related scenarios.

Keep your progress organized with matching trackers on SimpleTrackers.io.