Absolute change
+25,000Total people gained or lostFree population calculator
Measure how a
population changed.
Enter a starting population, an ending population, and the time between them. Get the total change, growth rate, and annual pace in one clear summary.
Enter your figures
Population change inputs
Values may be estimates or official counts.
Result summary
The population increased by 25%.
That is a gain of 25,000 people over 5 years, equivalent to compound annual growth of 4.56%.
Percentage change
+25.00%Change relative to the startAverage annual change
+5,000People per year, arithmeticAnnual growth rate
+4.56%Compound annual growth rateGrowth path
Change over time
Illustrative compound-growth path
Estimated compound path100,000 → 125,000
Show your work
How the results are calculated
Percentage change answers “how much did it change overall?” CAGR answers “what steady annual rate would produce the same result?”
Absolute change
Ending population − starting population
125,000 − 100,000 = 25,000Percentage change
(Absolute change ÷ starting population) × 100
(25,000 ÷ 100,000) × 100 = 25%Average annual change
Absolute change ÷ number of years
25,000 ÷ 5 = 5,000Compound annual growth rate
(Ending ÷ starting)1 ÷ years − 1
(125,000 ÷ 100,000)^(1 ÷ 5) − 1 = 4.56%Using this calculator
What each measure tells you
Total change
The raw number of people added or lost. This is useful for planning services, housing, and infrastructure.
Percentage change
Adjusts for the starting size, making it easier to compare communities with very different populations.
Annual growth rate
Smooths the full change into an equivalent yearly compound rate. It does not mean every year changed equally.
Important: Results depend on the quality and consistency of the figures entered. When using official statistics, compare estimates from the same data series and vintage whenever possible.