"decrease in" vs "decrease to"

Question

"decrease in" vs "decrease to"

Both 'decrease to' and 'decrease in' are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Decrease to' is used when specifying a specific value or level to which something decreases, while 'decrease in' is used when talking about the overall decrease in something.

Last Updated: March 19, 2024

Use 'decrease in' when you want to talk about the general decrease in something. For example, 'There was a decrease in sales last quarter.'

Examples:

There was a decrease in the number of students attending the school.
The company experienced a decrease in revenue this year.
We observed a decrease in the quality of the product.

Alternatives:

reduction in
drop in
decline in

Use 'decrease to' when you want to indicate the specific value or level to which something decreases. For example, 'The price decreased to $10.'

Examples:

The temperature decreased to -5 degrees Celsius.
The company's stock price decreased to its lowest point in a year.
The population decreased to half of what it was last year.

Alternatives:

fell to
dropped to
lowered to

Answer 1

decrease in

This phrase is correct and commonly used when referring to the overall decrease in something.

Answer 2

decrease to

This phrase is correct and commonly used when specifying a specific value or level to which something decreases.

"decrease in" vs "decrease to"

decrease in

decrease to

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