What is the percentage decrease?
Formula: ((Original − New) / Original) × 100
Percentage Decrease
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Percentage Decrease FAQ
Common questions about calculating percentage decreases.
Use this formula: % Decrease = ((Original − New) / Original) × 100
Example: Price drops from $80 to $60.
(80 − 60) / 80 × 100 = 20/80 × 100 = 25%
Example: Price drops from $80 to $60.
(80 − 60) / 80 × 100 = 20/80 × 100 = 25%
New Value = Original × (1 − %/100)
A 20% decrease from 150:
150 × (1 − 0.20) = 150 × 0.80 = 120
A 20% decrease from 150:
150 × (1 − 0.20) = 150 × 0.80 = 120
Original = New Value / (1 − %/100)
If a price is now $80 after a 20% decrease:
80 / (1 − 0.20) = 80 / 0.80 = $100
If a price is now $80 after a 20% decrease:
80 / (1 − 0.20) = 80 / 0.80 = $100
Percentage change can be positive (increase) or negative (decrease). Percentage decrease is specifically when the value drops, and is reported as a positive number. They use the same formula — the sign tells you the direction.
Yes — a 50% decrease means the value is exactly halved. But to recover from that, you'd need a 100% increase (doubling), not a 50% increase. This asymmetry trips many people up: a 50% drop followed by a 50% rise still leaves you at 75% of the original.