Percentage Point Calculator
Enter two percentages to see the gap in percentage points and the change as a percentage. Or enter a starting rate and a number of points to find the new rate.
A percentage point is a unit of difference between two percentages. It is not the same as a percentage change.
Worked examples
An interest rate rise
From 4% to 5.5%
1.5 percentage points, or 37.5%
1.5 ÷ 4 = 0.375.
A fall
From 10% to 8%
2 percentage points, or a 20% fall
2 ÷ 10 = 0.2.
About Percentage Point Calculator
A percentage point is the simple difference between two percentages. If an interest rate moves from 4% to 5.5%, it has risen by 1.5 percentage points. The percentage change is something else: 1.5 out of the starting 4 is a rise of 37.5%. Both statements are true, and they sound very different, which is why news reports often mix them up and why it matters which one you mean.
Use percentage points to describe the gap between two rates, such as unemployment, inflation, an interest rate or a poll result. Use a percentage change when you want to know how big the move is compared with where it began. This calculator gives both at once from two percentages. Its second mode starts from a rate and a number of points and finds the new rate, for example a mortgage rate of 4.2% that rises by 0.75 percentage points.
How to use Percentage Point Calculator
- Choose whether to find the gap between two percentages or to add points to a rate.
- Enter the starting percentage.
- Enter the new percentage, or the number of points to add or take off.
- Read the gap in points, the percentage change and the explanation.
Common uses
- Describing a change in an interest rate or tax rate
- Reporting a change in a poll result or an exam pass rate
- Understanding news about inflation or unemployment
- Working out a new rate after a stated rise in points
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a percentage point and a percent?
A percentage point is the arithmetic gap between two percentages. A percent change compares the gap with the starting value. Going from 10% to 12% is 2 percentage points, and it is a 20% increase.
If a rate falls from 8% to 6%, what is the change?
It falls by 2 percentage points, which is a 25% fall relative to the starting rate, because 2 is a quarter of 8.
When should I use percentage points?
When you describe the difference between two things that are already percentages, such as rates. Saying "up 2 points" is clearer than "up 2%", which could mean either.
What if the starting percentage is zero?
The gap in points is still fine, but the percentage change is not defined, because you cannot divide by zero.
Can percentage points be more than 100?
The gap between two rates can be, but only for quantities that are not limited to 100%, such as growth rates. Rates of share, like a vote share, stay between 0 and 100.