Percentage Decrease Calculator
When sums go down, you want to know by how much. This tool gives the percent drop clean.
I use it for sale prices and for my own spending drops at month end.
Type a percent to see what the old number drops to. Leave 0 to use the two numbers above.
The last row is the fun one. A 25 percent drop needs a 33 percent rise to undo it.
How to use this tool
- 1Old minus new gives the drop.
- 2Drop split by old times 100 gives the percent.
- 3The real terms row shows the raw size of the drop.
The math behind it
Decrease percent = (old - new) / old x 100
A coat falls from 200 to 150. The drop is 50.
Split 50 by 200 and the fall is 25 percent.
Who this tool is for
I watch which tools folk open most, and this one gets used by the same kinds of people again and again. If any of these sound like you, you are in the right place.
- Shoppers checking stacked drops
- Folk tracking spend cuts month to month
- Sellers planing markdowns
A store once shouted 40 percent off, then another 40 at the till. I felt rich. This tool told me the truth was 64 off, not 80. I still bought the coat. But I bought it knowing, which is my whole money philosophy in one sentence.
Tips from me
- Shops quote the percent they cut, not the percent you pay. Read both.
- Use it on bills after a switch to see your real saving rate.
- A fall of 50 percent needs a rise of 100 percent to get back. Cuts hurt more than gains help.
Mistakes I see with this sum
These are the three slips I made my self or watch folk make most. Skip them and your number will be closer to the truth on the first try.
- 1Adding two drops together. They stack on the smaller number, not the first one.
- 2Forgetting the rise needed to undo a drop is always bigger than the drop.
- 3Comparing a drop against the wrong base. The old number rules.
Two words worth knowing
Markdown
A cut from the original price.
Recovery rise
The bigger rise it takes to undo a drop.
That is the whole page. The tool does the math, and the words above give it a shape. If a number still looks odd, change an input and watch what moves. Playing with the boxes taught me more than any guide did.
Common questions
+A 50 percent drop then a 50 percent rise. Am I back at the start?
No. 100 down 50 percent is 50. Up 50 percent is 75. Drops and rises do not cancel out.
+What if the old number is zero?
Then no percent can be worked out. Any sum up from zero is an endless percent rise.
+How do I find the new price after a cut?
Take the percent off 100, then multiply the old price by what is left. From 200 down 25 percent, pay 200 times 0.75.
+Why does my sale saving feel smaller than advertised?
Ads often show the cut from a high anchor price. Compare with the price you would truly have paid.
+What is a big drop in percent terms?
Over 30 percent is a big move for most prices. Over 50 percent, check why. There is often a reason in the fine print.