Question

Relative Change. For each pair of values below, use a percentage to express the relative change or difference. Use the second value given as the reference value, and express results to the nearest tenth of a percentage point.

1. There were 671 murders in Chicago in 2017. In 2016 there were 785.

2. According to Becker’s Hospital Review, for 2016 the US state with the highest life expectancy was Hawaii at 81.3 years. The lowest was Mississippi at 74.7 years.

Help! I don’t understand this, and would greatly appreciate it if I could see the steps worked out so that I can learn it for the future! Thanks!

Answer 1

Answer#1)

given; in 2017 number of murders = 671

in 2016 (reference value) number of murders = 785

.

Relative change = (new value - old value) * 100 / old value

[here old value is considered as the reference value]

.

On plugging the values we get;

Relative change = (671-785)*100/785

Relative change = -14.52%

.

Answer# 2)

Highest Life expectancy= 81.3

Lowest life expectancy = 74.7

[given that consider the second value as reference vlaue]

Relative change = (Highest value - lowest value) * 100 / lowest value

.

On plugging the vlaues we get:

relative change = (81.3-74.7)*100/74.7

Relative change = 8.83%