year-on-year

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "year-on-year" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate the comparison of a certain statistic over the different years. For example, "The revenue for this year was 20% higher than last year's, indicating a year-on-year growth of 2%."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

34 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

Its year-on-year fall was 8.9%.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

26 human-written examples

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

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When reporting percentage changes, always specify the base year for clarity. For example, "A 10% year-on-year increase" clearly indicates the comparison is with the previous year.

Common error

Avoid using "year-on-year" when you actually mean "quarter-on-quarter" or "month-on-month". Ensure the timeframe accurately reflects the data being compared.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "year-on-year" functions as an adjective to describe a comparison between two consecutive years. It typically modifies nouns like 'growth', 'increase', or 'decline'. Ludwig provides several examples where "year-on-year" is used to describe changes in economic indicators and sales figures.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

61%

Formal & Business

23%

Science

16%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the term "year-on-year" is a common and grammatically correct adjective phrase used to describe a comparison between two consecutive years, as confirmed by Ludwig. It's prevalent in news, business, and scientific contexts for reporting changes in metrics. To ensure clarity, always specify the base year, and avoid confusing it with other timeframes like quarter-on-quarter or year-to-date. Alternatives include "year over year" and "compared to the previous year", although the primary phrase is already concise enough. Ludwig's examples highlight the phrase's versatility in describing economic growth, sales declines, and other performance indicators.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

year over year

This alternative is semantically identical and shorter, using 'over' instead of 'on'.

annual comparison

This alternative is more general, referring to a comparison made annually.

compared to the previous year

This alternative is more explicit and less concise, specifying the basis of the comparison.

from the previous year

This alternative focuses on the source of the data being compared.

year after year

This alternative emphasizes a trend observed across multiple years, not just a single comparison.

on an annual basis

This alternative focuses on the frequency of the analysis.

over the past year

This alternative describes changes or trends observed during the last 12 months.

annualized rate

This alternative expresses a rate calculated to represent an entire year, even if based on a shorter period.

in the last 12 months

This alternative specifically refers to the data from the most recent 12-month period.

previous year's figures

This alternative emphasizes the data from the preceding year used for comparison.

FAQs

How is "year-on-year" abbreviated?

While "year-on-year" is sometimes abbreviated as YoY, it is generally preferable to use the full term in formal writing for clarity.

What is the difference between "year-on-year" and "year-to-date"?

"Year-on-year" compares a period to the same period in the previous year. "Year-to-date" (YTD) refers to the period from the beginning of the current year to the current date.

When should I use "year-on-year"?

Use "year-on-year" when you want to compare a specific metric or value from one year to the corresponding period in the previous year. For example, comparing sales in Q3 2024 to sales in Q3 2023.

What can I say instead of "year-on-year"?

You can use alternatives like "year over year" or "compared to the previous year" depending on the context.