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← Understanding news numbers

Up from last month, down from a year ago

The same current value can show an increase and a decrease when the comparison periods differ.

These are fictional examples. Change the numbers to explore.

Use up to four decimal places. Values range from 0 to 1 billion; rates from -1,000% to 1,000%. The price example needs a positive starting value and rates above -100%, up to 1,000%. Results round to four decimal places.

Reading your example

From the previous month
+10 %
From the same month last year
-8.3333 %

The current value of 110 changes by +10% from last month’s 100, and -8.3333% from 120 a year ago.

Compare fictional values · bars start at zero
Same month last year120
Previous month100
Current month110

How the comparison works

For month-on-month change, divide the difference from the previous month by that previous value. For year-on-year change, compare with the same month a year earlier. Use the same units and index base.

  • These are simple changes in the entered values. This tool does not seasonally adjust a series.
  • Check whether an official monthly comparison uses seasonally adjusted data. Keep adjusted and unadjusted series separate.
  • A few monthly changes do not establish the annual change. A zero comparison value has no defined percent change.

Official explanation checked

KOSIS economic dashboard: indicator notes (Korean) ↗

Concept source checked · Our examples and explanations are editorial.

Return to reporting using these expressions

Past 180 days · up to six latest stories with matching expressions. Story values are not automatically entered here; a match does not assess the story’s conclusions.