Use decline in for the area that becomes smaller, decline by for the amount of change, decline from and decline to for starting and ending levels. Decline for is uncommon with this meaning.
Use decline in before the thing that becomes smaller: Sales declined in Europe. Use decline by for the size of the change: Sales declined by 10%. Use decline from and to to show a change between two levels. Decline for is not normally used to express reduction.
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
Use in before the field, sector, or category that experiences a reduction.
Use by before the amount or percentage of change.
Use from for the original level before the decrease.
Use to for the final level after a decrease.
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
By gives the amount of change, not the thing affected.
✕ Sales declined by electronics. ✓ Sales declined in electronics.Use by for numbers and percentages of reduction.
✕ Profits declined in 10%. ✓ Profits declined by 10%.From introduces the starting level.
✕ The rate declined by 8% to 5%. ✓ The rate declined from 8% to 5%.For usually adds duration, not the target of decline.
✕ Demand declined for exports. ✓ Demand declined in exports.Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.
Yes. Use decline to for the final level after a decrease, such as profits declined to $2 million.
Decline in names the area affected, while decline by gives the amount of reduction.
Only in different meanings or with time expressions, such as business declined for several months. It is not the usual pattern for the thing that decreases.
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