What it means
に比べて means “compared to” or “in comparison with.” It marks the person, thing, time, or situation used as the baseline for comparison, while the main clause describes how the other subject differs from that baseline. The comparison usually concerns qualities such as size, amount, frequency, ability, or condition, and the main clause often uses は to identify the item being evaluated.
Usage note
The item marked by に is the comparison standard, not necessarily the less important item. に比べて is commonly attached directly to a noun; when comparing two full clauses, the first clause is often nominalized with の before に比べて.
How to use it
Nounに比べて
去年に比べて、今年は雨が少ないです。
Compared to last year, there is less rain this year.
Nounに比べて
去年に比べて、今年は雨が少ない。
Compared to last year, there is less rain this year.