Percentage points calculator
This percentage points calculator subtracts one percentage from another: a rate rising from 19% to 21% is +2 percentage points, but +10.53% in relative terms. Enter both values to see both numbers with the steps, and optionally the absolute change for a base amount.
Example: What do you want to know: From value A to value B: change · Old value A 19 % · New value B 21 % → Result: +2 percentage points · relative +10.53 %. Source: Wikipedia – Percentage point. Updated: .
How it is calculated
A percentage point is the gap between two percentages. A percent, by contrast, describes a relative change. If the unemployment rate goes from 5% to 6%, that is a rise of 1 percentage point, but of 20 percent, because 1 ÷ 5 = 0.2.
Formulas
- Percentage points: B − A
- Relative change in percent: (B − A) ÷ A × 100
- Absolute change: (B − A) ÷ 100 × base amount
- Add-on in points: starting rate + points (3% + 2 points = 5%)
Typical cases
For loans, “base rate plus 5 percentage points” means: with a base rate of 3% you pay 8%. “Plus 5 percent” would only give 3.15%. Election results, tax rates, quotas and market shares are also compared in percentage points. The base amount field converts points into people or money: 5 points of 2,000 respondents is 100 people.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate percentage points?
Subtract the two percentages: new value minus old value. From 19% to 21% that is 21 − 19 = 2 percentage points.
What is the difference between percentage points and percent?
Percentage points measure the absolute gap between two percentages, percent the relative change from the starting value. Going from 5% to 6% is +1 percentage point but +20 percent.
How do I work out "5 percentage points above the base rate"?
You add 5 directly to the base rate. With a base rate of 3% that gives 8%. In the add-on mode you also see what +5 percent would do instead.
How do I convert percentage points into percent?
Divide the point difference by the starting value and multiply by 100. Example: 2 points on a starting value of 19% is 2 ÷ 19 × 100 = 10.53%.
What does a drop of 10 percentage points mean?
The percentage falls by 10 units, for example from 40% to 30%. In relative terms that is a drop of 25 percent.
Sources and legal basis
As of: · Editorial policy
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