CAGR Calculator
Calculate compound annual growth rate and total percentage change from a starting value, ending value and elapsed years. Use it only when no money was added or withdrawn between those values.
Compound annual growth rate
Total change: — · Amount gained or lost: —
Amounts use the same currency or units; the rate does not depend on the label. For 10,000 becoming 20,000 over ten years, total growth is 100%, while CAGR is approximately 7.1773% per year.
Equivalent constant-growth path
This table interpolates a smooth path between the entered endpoints. It is not a record of actual yearly results or a forecast. For timelines over 100 years, it shows the first 100 years and the final endpoint.
| Elapsed years | Equivalent value |
|---|
CAGR formula
The starting value must be positive and elapsed years greater than zero. The ending value may be zero: complete loss produces −100% CAGR. An ending value below the starting value produces a negative rate. Decimal years are supported; for an 18-month period enter 1.5.
CAGR versus total return and arithmetic average
Total percentage change compares the two values without accounting for time. CAGR is the constant annual compound rate connecting them. Neither reveals the volatility between the endpoints. A 50% rise followed by a 50% fall takes 100 to 75: the arithmetic average is 0%, but the two-year CAGR is about −13.3975%.
Why deposits and withdrawals change the question
If 10,000 grows to 20,000 because you deposited another 10,000, the 100% balance increase is not a 100% investment return. This endpoint formula cannot separate new money from growth. For contributions, use our investment growth calculator. For historical cash flows at different dates, you need a cash-flow-aware return measure such as XIRR; that calculation is not provided here.
Can I annualise a short period?
The formula accepts a fraction of a year, but annualising a brief gain can produce a large rate. That number describes a mathematical equivalent, not a repeatable expected return. No taxes, fees, distributions or inflation are separately deducted.
Related calculations
Project growth with annual deposit increases · Project a lump sum forward · Compare investment fees · Convert nominal and effective rates
Published September 27, 2026. Examples independently checked; constant-growth mathematics does not forecast investment performance.