Calc function to calculate percentage difference.

[Raalie]

Hello all. First question, nothing too taxing.

I’d like to know if there’s a standard calc function that’ll give me the % difference between two cells. I got this formula from calculater soup that does what I need. It’s (v2-v1) / v1 * 100. v1 and v2 are the two cell values. If I enter the formula I get the correct value.

I was wondering if calc has a standard formula that does it for me. I tried searching for some functions but I can’t see anything obvious. Is there a sort of PERCDIFF function that takes the two values as input and returns the % difference between them?

Thanks in advance.

[erAck]

No .

[Raalie]

Thanks. I appreciate your quick reply.

[Lupp]

Quoting @Raalie: “…If I enter the formula I get the correct value…”
You may find many unclear definitions about what a “percentage” is. The main difference in understanding is exmplified by
A) The rate (of growth e.g.) or the ratio of something (a part e.g.) compared with a fix base value, in specific if the result is shown or communicated using a percent-format.
B) The numerator of a fraction with the denominator 100 if the fraction gives the value of a rate or ratio as explained above.
An understanding following B requires a number being hundred times as large as following A. That’s a lot of difference!
If you want to use the percenatge fornatting Calc offers for numbers you need to refer to the interpretation A.
Alas! If a cell already is formatted the percentage way, you need to make further entries as if interpretation B is chosen. The resulting values will comply with A, however.
(Spreadsheets refuse to not take an opportunity to mess up things.)

[ve3oat]

Regarding your quoted formula for percentage change

(v2-v1) / v1 * 100

as I often remind my wife, make sure that v1 is the initial value and v2 is the final value. Then the change (plus or minus) will work out correctly.