Year-over-year

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Year-over-year" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in financial or statistical contexts to compare data from one year to the same period in the previous year. Example: "The company's revenue increased by 10% year-over-year, indicating strong growth."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

40 human-written examples

"Year-over-year, they pay their C.E.O.

The New York Times

Year-over-year sales are up 300 percent.

The New York Times

Year-over-year core inflation was up 0.8 percent.

The New York Times

Year-over-year sales at many stores were down substantially.

The Economist

Year-over-year revenue growth was 24%.

Forbes

Year-over-year sales improved 4.6%.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

20 human-written examples

Revenue is up 18 percent year over year.

The New York Times

Earnings are accelerating year over year.

The New York Times

That's up 13.7percentt year over year.

The New York Times

"Things didn't change radically year over year".

The New York Times

"Year over year over year, I think the audience has remained static, if not grown.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "Year-over-year", ensure that the context clearly indicates what is being compared. For instance, specify whether you are referring to revenue, sales, or some other metric.

Common error

Avoid assuming that a positive "Year-over-year" increase automatically signifies success without considering external factors or industry benchmarks. Always provide context and compare against relevant standards.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "Year-over-year" functions as an adjective, modifying nouns to indicate a comparison between two consecutive years. Ludwig confirms its use in describing changes and trends, particularly in economic and statistical contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Formal & Business

27%

Science

25%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the term "Year-over-year" is an adjective used for comparing data from one year to the corresponding period of the previous year. Ludwig confirms it is grammatically correct and highly prevalent in business, finance, and economic contexts. As Ludwig AI indicates, this term is used to identify trends, growth, or decline. While alternatives like "year on year" and "annual comparison" exist, "Year-over-year" remains a standard term in professional and analytical communications. When employing this phrase, ensure clarity in specifying what metric is being compared and avoid drawing unsupported conclusions without considering broader context. This makes it easier to properly asses if it's about sales, revenue or any other metric.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Year on year

This alternative uses 'on' instead of 'over', offering a slightly different prepositional choice but maintaining the same meaning.

Compared to last year

This is a simpler, more direct way of expressing the same comparison, using explicit wording instead of a compound adjective.

Over the previous year

This alternative emphasizes the time frame being considered, offering a more descriptive approach.

From the previous year

This option highlights the origin point of the comparison, focusing on the change from the past year.

Annual comparison

This is a more general term referring to a comparison made on an annual basis, lacking the direct temporal link of the original phrase.

Compared with the previous 12 months

This alternative is more explicit about the timeframe being assessed, offering a longer and more descriptive expression.

Prior year

Focuses on the year used as a baseline, simply referencing the preceding year without explicitly drawing comparison.

Past year

Similar to prior year, refers to events or data from the immediate past 365 days, but not necessarily in a comparative context.

Annualized

While related to annual data, this term refers to converting data to an annual rate, rather than comparing across years.

Sequential year

Highlights the continuous succession of years in a series, focusing on the order rather than the comparison.

FAQs

How is "Year-over-year" used in financial analysis?

"Year-over-year" (YoY) comparisons are used in financial analysis to assess the growth of a company or investment by comparing its performance in one period (e.g., a quarter or a year) to the corresponding period in the previous year. This helps in identifying trends and seasonal effects.

What are some alternatives to saying "Year-over-year"?

Alternatives include "year on year", "annual comparison", or "compared to last year", depending on the specific context and desired level of formality.

Is there a difference between "Year-over-year" and "Year-on-year"?

The terms "Year-over-year" and "year on year" are essentially interchangeable. Both refer to comparing data from one period to the same period in the previous year. The choice between them often comes down to stylistic preference.

How do I calculate "Year-over-year" growth?

To calculate "Year-over-year" growth, subtract the value from the previous year from the current year's value, then divide the result by the previous year's value, and multiply by 100 to express it as a percentage. The formula is: ((Current Year Value - Previous Year Value) / Previous Year Value) * 100.