Percent Variance Calculator
Find the variance between two numbers, such as budget vs actual or last month vs this month, as an amount and as a percentage.
Calculate variance %- Variance (new − original)
- 300
- Variance %
- +25%
- Percent difference
- 22.2222%
(1500 − 1200) / |1200| × 100 = +25%
Percent variance formula
Variance = New − Original
Variance % = (New − Original) / |Original| × 100
In budgeting, "original" is the budget or forecast and "new" is the actual figure. A positive variance means the actual came in above budget; a negative one means it came in below.
Example: budget vs actual
You budgeted $1,200 for marketing and spent $1,500. The variance is 1,500 − 1,200 = $300. The variance percentage is 300 / 1,200 × 100 =25% over budget.
Percent variance vs percent difference
Percent variance has a direction: it measures change from a starting value. Percent difference has none. It divides the gap by the average of the two values:|a − b| / ((a + b) / 2) × 100. Use percent difference when neither number is the baseline, for example when comparing two measurements.
Looking for statistical variance?
To measure how spread out a whole data set is, use the variance calculator(sample and population, with steps) or readhow to calculate variance.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the variance between two numbers?
Subtract the original (or budgeted) number from the new (or actual) number to get the variance. To express it as a percentage, divide that difference by the original number and multiply by 100: variance % = (new − original) / |original| × 100.
What is the formula for variance percentage?
Variance % = (actual − budget) / |budget| × 100. A positive result means the actual figure is above the budget or baseline; a negative result means it is below.
Is percent variance the same as statistical variance?
No. Percent variance compares two numbers (such as budget vs actual) and is used in finance and reporting. Statistical variance measures how spread out a whole data set is around its mean. For that, use the variance calculator on the homepage.
What is the difference between percent variance and percent difference?
Percent variance (percent change) measures the change relative to the original value, so the order matters. Percent difference compares two values without a direction, dividing their absolute difference by their average.
What if the original number is zero?
Percent variance is undefined when the original value is zero, because you cannot divide by zero. The calculator still shows the absolute variance in that case.