What is a percentage point (pp)?

A percentage point is the arithmetic difference between two percentages. If something increases from 20% to 25%, it has risen by 5 percentage points. The abbreviation "pp" is widely used in finance, statistics, and journalism as shorthand for this unit.

What's the difference between a percentage point and a percent?

"Percentage point" describes an absolute difference between two percentages. "Percent" describes a relative change. Going from 10% to 15% is a rise of 5 percentage points, but a 50% increase (because 5 is 50% of 10). The two terms are often confused, but they answer very different questions.

Can a percentage point difference be negative?

Yes. If Percent #1 is larger than Percent #2, the difference will be negative — indicating a decrease. For example, if unemployment drops from 6% to 4%, the change is −2 pp. This is often described as "falling by 2 percentage points."

What are basis points? Are they related to percentage points?

Yes. A basis point (bps or bp) is one-hundredth of a percentage point — so 1 percentage point = 100 basis points. Basis points are commonly used in financial markets, especially when discussing small changes in interest rates or bond yields. A 0.25 percentage point rate hike is often called a "25 basis point hike."

When should I report percentage points instead of percentage change?

Use percentage points when you're comparing two rates or proportions directly and want to convey the absolute gap. Use percentage change when you want to emphasize how big the move was relative to the starting value. In most clear communication — journalism, medicine, public policy — percentage points are preferred because they're harder to misinterpret.

Why does this calculator show both pp and % difference?

Because both numbers are useful in different contexts. The percentage point difference tells you the absolute gap. The percentage difference tells you the relative size of the change. Having both lets you choose the most appropriate figure for your audience or purpose.

What's the percentage point difference if both values are the same?

Zero. If Percent #1 and Percent #2 are both, say, 35%, the percentage point difference is 0 pp and the percentage change is 0%. There's no change to report.

Can I use this calculator for very small percentages?

Absolutely. The calculator handles decimals, so you can enter values like 0.03% and 0.08% without any issues. The math is the same regardless of the scale.

What does the Numeric Values section do?

The Numeric Values section lets you find the arithmetic difference between two raw numbers — useful when you have counts, scores, or measurements rather than percentages, and you want to see the straight numerical gap between them.

Percentage Points (pp) Calculator

This percentage points calculator helps you find the exact difference between two percentages — giving you both the percentage point difference (pp) and the percentage change (%) side by side, instantly. Whether you're comparing interest rates, analyzing poll results, interpreting a study, or tracking a shift in market share, this tool cuts through the confusion and gives you the number you actually need.

Most people have encountered the phrase "up 5 percentage points" at some point — in financial news, election coverage, or a doctor's report — without being entirely sure what it means or how it differs from saying "up 5 percent." This calculator makes that distinction completely clear, and handles the math for you in seconds.

You can also use the Numeric Values section to find the difference between two raw numbers — useful when you're working with counts or scores that you want to compare directly.

What Are Percentage Points?

A percentage point (pp) is the simplest way to express the arithmetic difference between two percentages. If interest rates rise from 3% to 5%, they have risen by 2 percentage points — full stop. No division, no ratios. Just subtraction.

This matters because saying "rates rose by 2 percentage points" and saying "rates rose by 67%" are both technically correct descriptions of the same change — but they mean very different things:

2 percentage points = the absolute gap (5% − 3% = 2 pp)
67% = how large the change was relative to where you started ((5% − 3%) ÷ 3% × 100 = 66.7%)

Percentage points are the go-to unit when you need to communicate a change clearly and avoid ambiguity. You'll see them used constantly in:

Central bank announcements ("The Fed raised rates by 25 basis points — 0.25 percentage points")
Election reporting ("Candidate A leads by 4 percentage points")
Medical research ("Treatment group success rate was 12 pp higher")
Academic grading ("Your score improved by 8 percentage points")

Percentage Points vs. Percentage Change — Not the Same Thing

This is the confusion that trips up even careful readers. Here's a clean example:

A savings account offers 2% interest. A competitor offers 3% interest. What's the difference?

Measure	Calculation	Result
Percentage point difference	3% − 2%	1 pp
Percentage change	(3% − 2%) ÷ 2% × 100	50%

So the competitor's rate is 1 percentage point higher — but it's 50% higher in relative terms. Both are correct. The right one to use depends on what you're trying to communicate.

When to use percentage points:

Comparing two rates or proportions directly
Describing changes in polls, grades, interest rates, or statistics
When absolute differences matter more than relative ones

When to use percentage change:

When you want to show how significant a change was relative to a starting point
When comparing changes across different scales

The good news is you don't have to choose in advance — this calculator gives you both, so you can use whichever is appropriate for your situation.

How to Use This Calculator

For Percentage Point Difference

Enter Percent #1 — Type the first percentage value (just the number, without the % symbol). For example, if you're starting with an interest rate of 4.5%, enter 4.5.
Enter Percent #2 — Type the second percentage value. For example, enter 6.25 for a new rate of 6.25%.
Read your results — The calculator instantly shows you the percentage point difference (the absolute gap) and the percentage difference (the relative change).

For Numeric Value Difference

Enter a Total Value — The baseline or total you're working with.
Enter Value #1 and Value #2 — The two numbers you want to compare.
Read the Value Difference — The calculator shows the arithmetic difference between your two values.

No "Calculate" button needed — results update in real time as you type.

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Mortgage Interest Rates

Your current mortgage rate is 3.75%. Refinancing options show a new rate of 2.50%.

Percentage point difference: 1.25 pp (3.75 − 2.50)
Percentage difference: 33.3% (the new rate is 33.3% lower than the old one)

When talking to your lender, you'd say you're saving "one and a quarter percentage points" — that's the language mortgage professionals use.

Example 2: Election Polling

Candidate A polls at 48%. Candidate B polls at 43%.

Percentage point difference: 5 pp
Percentage difference: 11.6%

News anchors will say Candidate A leads by "5 percentage points" — using pp to keep the comparison clear and avoid misleading viewers with the larger-sounding relative figure.

Example 3: Employee Survey Results

Last year, 62% of employees reported being satisfied with their workplace. This year, 71% report satisfaction.

Percentage point improvement: 9 pp
Percentage improvement: 14.5%

HR teams typically report this as a "9 percentage point improvement" because it gives an honest sense of the actual shift.

Example 4: Investment Return Comparison

Fund A returned 8.2% last year. Fund B returned 6.7%.

Percentage point difference: 1.5 pp
Percentage difference: 22.4%

A financial adviser would say Fund A outperformed by 1.5 percentage points — precise, comparable, and meaningful to investors.

Example 5: Clinical Trial Results

A clinical trial shows the control group had a 12% adverse event rate. The treatment group had a 5% rate.

Percentage point reduction: 7 pp
Relative risk reduction: 58.3%

Medical papers report both, but regulators and doctors focus heavily on the absolute percentage point difference because it reflects real-world impact more directly.

Where Percentage Points Come Up in Daily Life

Once you know what to look for, you'll start seeing percentage points everywhere:

Finance and banking — Interest rate changes, mortgage comparisons, bond yields, credit card APRs
Politics and polls — Approval ratings, election margins, policy support levels
Health and medicine — Clinical trial results, vaccination rates, disease prevalence changes
Business and marketing — Conversion rate improvements, market share shifts, churn rate changes
Education — Grade improvements, pass rate changes, test score comparisons
Sports analytics — Win percentage changes, shooting percentage improvements

In all of these contexts, percentage points give you the clearest picture of what actually changed — without overstating or understating the shift the way relative percentages sometimes can.

The Formula

The percentage point difference is calculated with straightforward subtraction:

Percentage Point Difference = Percent #2 − Percent #1

For example: 15% − 10% = 5 pp

The percentage difference (relative change) uses a slightly different formula:

Percentage Difference = ((Percent #2 − Percent #1) ÷ Percent #1) × 100

For example: ((15% − 10%) ÷ 10%) × 100 = 50%

These two formulas answer two different questions:

pp formula: How many percentage points did it change?
% difference formula: How large was that change relative to the starting value?

This calculator performs arithmetic calculations based on the values you enter. For high-stakes financial, medical, or research decisions, always verify results and consult a qualified professional.