In a small town in the USA, the population increased from 20,000 people in 1995 to 34,000 people in 2000. What is the percent increase in population?

Question

In a small town in the USA, the population increased from 20,000 people in 1995 to 34,000 people in 2000. What is the percent increase in population?

Answer 1

(34K-20K)/20K = 14/20 = 7/10 =.7 = 70% increase in population over 5 years.

Take the year 2000 population and subtract the year 1995 population, then divide by the 1995 population.

That's the increase divided by the base population

You get .7 which converted to percentage is .7(100) = 70%

A related problem, or maybe what you really wanted, was the annual percentage increase.

What annual percent rate would have the same two populations for 1995 and 2000.

this would be like asking what percent a bank would have to pay for your savings account

of $20,000 to grow in 5 years to $34,000. If you work that out, you should get a little over

10% but less than 11% annual percent growth rate.

Using an annual rate, or perhaps a monthly rate, makes the growth rate look much smaller.