Financial report context:
18 . allowance for credit losses .

Financial table:
in millions of dollars: allowance for loan losses at beginning of year; 2009: $ 29616; 2008 ( 1 ): $ 16117; 2007 ( 1 ): $ 8940
in millions of dollars: gross credit losses; 2009: -32784 ( 32784 ); 2008 ( 1 ): -20760 ( 20760 ); 2007 ( 1 ): -11864 ( 11864 )
in millions of dollars: gross recoveries; 2009: 2043; 2008 ( 1 ): 1749; 2007 ( 1 ): 1938
in millions of dollars: net credit ( losses ) recoveries ( ncls ); 2009: $ -30741 ( 30741 ); 2008 ( 1 ): $ -19011 ( 19011 ); 2007 ( 1 ): $ -9926 ( 9926 )
in millions of dollars: ncls; 2009: $ 30741; 2008 ( 1 ): $ 19011; 2007 ( 1 ): $ 9926
in millions of dollars: net reserve builds ( releases ); 2009: 5741; 2008 ( 1 ): 11297; 2007 ( 1 ): 6550
in millions of dollars: net specific reserve builds ( releases ); 2009: 2278; 2008 ( 1 ): 3366; 2007 ( 1 ): 356
in millions of dollars: total provision for credit losses; 2009: $ 38760; 2008 ( 1 ): $ 33674; 2007 ( 1 ): $ 16832
in millions of dollars: other net ( 2 ); 2009: -1602 ( 1602 ); 2008 ( 1 ): -1164 ( 1164 ); 2007 ( 1 ): 271
in millions of dollars: allowance for loan losses at end of year; 2009: $ 36033; 2008 ( 1 ): $ 29616; 2007 ( 1 ): $ 16117
in millions of dollars: allowance for credit losses on unfunded lending commitments at beginning of year ( 3 ); 2009: $ 887; 2008 ( 1 ): $ 1250; 2007 ( 1 ): $ 1100
in millions of dollars: provision for unfunded lending commitments; 2009: 244; 2008 ( 1 ): -363 ( 363 ); 2007 ( 1 ): 150
in millions of dollars: allowance for credit losses on unfunded lending commitments at end of year ( 3 ); 2009: $ 1157; 2008 ( 1 ): $ 887; 2007 ( 1 ): $ 1250
in millions of dollars: total allowance for loans leases and unfunded lending commitments; 2009: $ 37190; 2008 ( 1 ): $ 30503; 2007 ( 1 ): $ 17367

Additional report context:
( 1 ) reclassified to conform to the current period 2019s presentation . ( 2 ) 2009 primarily includes reductions to the loan loss reserve of approximately $ 543 million related to securitizations , approximately $ 402 million related to the sale or transfers to held-for-sale of u.s . real estate lending loans , and $ 562 million related to the transfer of the u.k . cards portfolio to held-for-sale . 2008 primarily includes reductions to the loan loss reserve of approximately $ 800 million related to fx translation , $ 102 million related to securitizations , $ 244 million for the sale of the german retail banking operation , $ 156 million for the sale of citicapital , partially offset by additions of $ 106 million related to the cuscatl e1n and bank of overseas chinese acquisitions . 2007 primarily includes reductions to the loan loss reserve of $ 475 million related to securitizations and transfers to loans held-for-sale , and reductions of $ 83 million related to the transfer of the u.k . citifinancial portfolio to held-for-sale , offset by additions of $ 610 million related to the acquisitions of egg , nikko cordial , grupo cuscatl e1n and grupo financiero uno . ( 3 ) represents additional credit loss reserves for unfunded corporate lending commitments and letters of credit recorded in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. .

Question: what was the percentage change in the allowance for loan losses from 2008 to 2009?
Answer: 84%