This online Percentage Difference Calculator finds the percent difference between two positive numbers. The numbers can be presented in either regular or scientific format.
Percentage Difference Formula
Percentage difference, also referred to as percent difference, is a measure used to compare two numeric values.
The percentage difference is defined as the absolute value of the difference between two values (A and B) divided by the average of the same values and expressed as a percentage:
The percentage difference is important when comparing two numbers of the same nature when the direction of change of those numbers and the relationship context between them are unavailable or unimportant.
It is important not to confuse the percentage difference with the percentage change, these are different calculations. Let’s explain the difference between them with an example.
Suppose we compare two different people by height and want to know the difference in their height in percentages. Then it is natural to compare the absolute difference in their height to their average height, since we can’t give priority to anyone’s height. In this case we use the percentage difference. Obviously, this value is always non-negative.
However, if we compare a person’s height at different points in their life, it is natural to use the percentage change. Then we will compare the difference in the person’s height in the later and earlier periods of the person’s life with the height in the earlier period. The percentage change obtained in this way can be either positive (the person has grown) or negative (the person has become shorter for some reason).
Although calculating the percentage difference is not difficult, it is much more convenient to use our Percentage Difference Calculator which makes calculations according to the above formula in a fraction of a second.
Related calculators
Check out our other percentage calculators such as Percentage Increase Calculator or Percentage of a Percentage Calculator.