Percentage Points Calculator
Calculate the difference between two percentages in percentage points. Enter the original percentage and new percentage to find the percentage-point change.
Enter the original percentage and new percentage to find the percentage-point difference.
Basis Points Converter
1 percentage point = 100 basis points. Enter either field.
What Is a Percentage Point?
A percentage point is a unit used when comparing two percentages directly — it's simply the difference between them, found by subtraction rather than division. Percentage points are often confused with percent (relative) change, but the two describe different things.
How to Calculate Percentage Points
Percentage-Point Difference = New Percentage − Original Percentage
Percentage Points vs Percentage Change
Percentage points measure the straight, arithmetic gap between two percentages. Percentage change (or -style relative comparisons) measures that same gap relative to the original percentage.
Example: a rate rises from 20% to 25%. Percentage-point increase = 25 − 20 = 5 points. Relative percentage increase = (25 − 20) ÷ 20 × 100 = 25%. These are two very different numbers describing the same change — mixing them up is a common source of confusion in news headlines and reports.
Examples
Interest rate moves from 3% to 4%: that's a 1 percentage-point increase, but a 33.33% relative increase.
Approval rating drops from 60% to 55%: that's a 5 percentage-point decrease, and a 8.33% relative decrease.
Basis Points and Percentage Points
Basis points are a smaller unit used mainly in finance to describe precise percentage changes: 1 percentage point equals 100 basis points. For example, 1% equals 100 basis points, and a 5 percentage-point move equals 500 basis points. Use the converter above to switch between the two units.