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Percentage Decrease Calculator

Last updated: May 31, 2026

Written by Blake Boege

A percentage decrease calculator computes the relative drop from a starting value to a new value as a percentage of the original. By subtracting the new value from the original, dividing by the original, and multiplying by 100, it determines the percentage reduction. It is commonly used to track retail discounts, investment losses, population drops, and general relative decreases.

Calculate the percentage decrease from an original value to a new value. See the steps, formula, and equivalent multiplier.

Quick Answer

Calculate the percentage drop from one number to another. Enter the original and new values to get the percentage decrease.

e.g. 200

The smaller value if a decrease, the larger value if an increase. · e.g. 150

Decrease vs increase

Percent change is always expressed against the original (the denominator). A move from 200 down to 150 is a 25% decrease. A move from 150 up to 200 is a 33.33% increase. The same dollar change, but different percent because the starting points differ.

If the new value is greater than the original, the calculator reports the change as a percent increase instead.

Percent decrease

Percent decrease

25%

From 200 down to 150.

Original value200
New value150
Decrease amount50
Percent decrease25%
Multiplier (new / original)0.75×

Percent decrease = (original − new) / original × 100. If the result is negative, the new value is larger and the change is a percent increase. The multiplier shows what to multiply the original by to get the new value: 0.75 means a 25% decrease; 1.10 means a 10% increase.

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Examples

100 dropped to 80

Decrease of 20 · 20% decrease

150 dropped to 60

Decrease of 90 · 60% decrease

How it works

The percentage decrease formula divides the difference between the starting and ending values by the starting value:

Percentage Decrease = ((Original − New) ÷ Original) × 100

For alternative terminologies, check our standard percent decrease calculator or see the opposite direction using our percentage increase calculator.

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Frequently asked questions

Subtract the new value from the original value to find the decrease, divide that decrease by the original value, and multiply the result by 100. Formula: Percentage Decrease = ((Original − New) ÷ Original) × 100.

Mathematically, they are exactly the same. They both measure the relative drop from a starting value to a new value, expressed as a fraction of 100. This page is optimized for the 'percentage decrease' term to help users find the calculations they need.

If the new value is positive, the maximum decrease is 100% (the value drops to zero). If the new value goes into negative numbers, the percentage decrease will exceed 100%.