year on year

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "year on year" is correct and widely used in written English.
It typically expresses an increase or decrease in something over the course of a year. For example, "Sales have increased year on year since the introduction of our new product line."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

28 human-written examples

Year on, year off.

HuffPost

Year on year the rise was 9.3%.

The Guardian - Business

The title fell 2.3% year on year.

The Guardian

Q also suffered year on year.

The Guardian

"Demand is going up year on year.

The Guardian

Year on year the figure was unchanged.

The Guardian - Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

32 human-written examples

Year-on-year, it rose by 0.2%.

The Economist

Pay Often fluctuates year-on-year.

The Guardian - Money

Year-on-year, GDP was 2.6% higher.

The Guardian - Business

Sales dropped 7.7% year-on-year.

The Guardian

Sales fell 6.9% year-on-year.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "year on year", ensure that the context clearly indicates what is being compared between the two years. This avoids ambiguity and ensures the reader understands the information being presented.

Common error

Avoid comparing data from non-consecutive years when intending to use "year on year". This term explicitly refers to a direct comparison between two adjacent years.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "year on year" primarily functions as an adverbial, modifying verbs or adjectives to indicate that a comparison is being made between two consecutive years. Ludwig AI highlights that the phrase is widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

12%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "year on year" is a common adverbial used to compare data from one year to the previous year, indicating changes or trends. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and wide usage, especially in news, business, and economic contexts. While "year on year" is generally neutral, it leans towards professional settings. When writing, ensure the comparison between the two years is clear to avoid ambiguity. Alternative phrases like "compared to the previous year" can provide additional clarity in certain contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

compared to the previous year

More verbose but provides explicit clarity regarding the comparison.

from year to year

Highlights the change that occurs between successive years.

year-over-year analysis

More formal and emphasizes the analytical aspect.

over the course of a year

Describes the period over which the change or trend is observed.

yearly basis

Emphasizes the timeframe over which the comparison is made.

in annual terms

Highlights the annual aspect of the measured changes.

annual comparison

Focuses on the comparison itself rather than the specific time frame.

on an annual scale

Stresses that the comparison is happening on a larger annual scale.

annualized rate

Specifically refers to converting data to an annual basis.

year after year

Indicates something happens consistently across multiple years, instead of a direct comparison.

FAQs

How do I use "year on year" in a sentence?

Use "year on year" to compare data from one year to the previous year. For example, "Sales increased 10% "year on year"" indicates a 10% increase in sales compared to the previous year.

What's a simple way to rephrase "year on year"?

You can rephrase "year on year" as "compared to the previous year" for clarity, especially in less formal contexts.

Is it correct to use "year-on-year" with a hyphen?

Yes, "year-on-year" is also correct and commonly used, especially as an adjective. For example, "year-on-year growth".

What's the difference between "year on year" and "year after year"?

"Year on year" refers to a specific comparison between two consecutive years. "Year after year" implies a trend or pattern that occurs consistently over many years.