CAGR Calculator
Find CAGR from start and end values, project a future portfolio value, or solve for years to a goal. Three modes — instant results, no sign-up.
Added May 17, 2026
Input
Result
Enter a value for what do you want to find? to see your result.
How it works
Calculates Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) — the smoothed annual return that turns a starting value into an ending value over time. Supports three modes: find CAGR, find future value, or find time to reach a target.
Formula
CAGR = (End Value / Start Value)^(1 / Years) − 1 Future Value = Start × (1 + CAGR)^Years Years = log(End / Start) / log(1 + CAGR)
- Start Value
- Initial investment or beginning portfolio value
- End Value
- Final or target value
- Years
- Investment horizon in years
- CAGR
- Compound Annual Growth Rate — the constant annual return that explains the growth
Step by step
- 01Choose a mode: calculate CAGR, find future value, or find how long it takes to reach a target.
- 02For CAGR: divide the end value by the start value, raise to the power of 1/years, then subtract 1.
- 03For future value: multiply start value by (1 + rate)^years.
- 04For time: take the natural log of (end/start) divided by the natural log of (1 + rate).
- 05The Rule of 72 estimates how many years it takes to double at a given CAGR: 72 / rate%.
Examples
$10,000 grows to $25,000 over 10 years
(25000/10000)^(1/10) − 1 = 2.5^0.1 − 1 ≈ 9.60% per year. The investment grew 2.5× in a decade.
Inputs
- What do you want to find?:
- cagr
- Starting value:
- 10000
- Ending value:
- 25000
- Number of years:
- 10
Result
- Result:
- 9.60% CAGR
$5,000 at 8% CAGR over 20 years
5000 × (1.08)^20 = 5000 × 4.661 ≈ $23,305. Compound growth multiplies the initial stake 4.66×.
Inputs
- What do you want to find?:
- future_value
- Starting value:
- 5000
- Annual growth rate (CAGR):
- 8
- Number of years:
- 20
Result
- Result:
- $23,305
How long to grow $10,000 to $50,000 at 10% CAGR?
log(50000/10000) / log(1.10) = log(5) / log(1.10) ≈ 16.9 years.
Inputs
- What do you want to find?:
- time
- Starting value:
- 10000
- Ending value:
- 50000
- Annual growth rate (CAGR):
- 10
Result
- Result:
- 16.9 years
Frequently asked questions
What is CAGR and why does it matter?
CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) is the constant annual rate at which an investment would have grown from its starting value to its ending value, assuming the gains were reinvested each year. It matters because it strips out volatility and lets you compare investments held for different periods on an equal footing.
What is the difference between CAGR and average annual return?
Average annual return simply adds up yearly returns and divides by the number of years. CAGR uses geometric compounding, which accounts for the effect of losses in one year reducing the base for the next. For volatile returns, CAGR will always be equal to or lower than the arithmetic average — it is the more realistic figure.
How is CAGR different from ROI?
ROI (Return on Investment) is the total percentage gain or loss over the full period, regardless of time. CAGR converts that total return into an annualised rate so you can compare investments of different lengths. For a 1-year investment, CAGR and ROI are the same; for longer periods, CAGR is always lower than the equivalent simple ROI percentage.
What is the Rule of 72?
The Rule of 72 is a mental shortcut: divide 72 by the CAGR percentage to estimate how many years it takes for an investment to double. At 6% CAGR it doubles in roughly 12 years; at 9% in roughly 8 years. It's an approximation — this calculator gives the exact figure.
Can I use CAGR for negative growth?
Yes. A negative CAGR simply means the value shrank on average each year. For example, a portfolio that drops from $10,000 to $7,000 over 5 years has a CAGR of about −6.9% per year.
What CAGR does the S&P 500 historically achieve?
The S&P 500 has historically delivered roughly 10% nominal CAGR and about 7% real (inflation-adjusted) CAGR over long periods. Past performance does not guarantee future results.