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CAGR Calculator

Work out the compound annual growth rate from a beginning value, an ending value, and the number of years, with total growth shown alongside.

Values

Calculated in your browser as you type. Nothing is uploaded.

Years between the beginning and ending value. Decimals like 2.5 are allowed.

Compound annual growth rate
+13.70%
10,000.00 to 19,000.00 over 5 years, compounding each year.
+90.00%
Total growth
1.9x
Growth multiple
+9,000.00
Total change

CAGR describes one smooth compounding path and does not reflect the ups and downs in between.

How to calculate compound annual growth rate

  1. Enter the beginning value

    Type the starting amount the growth is measured from, the value at the start of the period.

  2. Enter the ending value

    Enter the amount at the end of the period, what the starting value grew or shrank to.

  3. Set the number of years

    Enter how many years passed between the beginning and ending values, using a decimal for part years.

  4. Read the result

    The compound annual growth rate and total growth appear instantly and update as you type.

Why use this tool

Compound annual growth rate at a glance

Enter three numbers and the steady yearly rate that compounds from the beginning value to the ending value appears at once.

Total growth and multiple too

Alongside the annual rate you get the total growth over the whole period and the growth multiple, so you see both the yearly and the lifetime picture.

Handles declines

A lower ending value gives a negative rate, shown with its sign and direction so a decline is never mistaken for growth.

Fractional years supported

Enter periods like 2.5 years and the rate adjusts, useful for holdings that do not land on a whole number of years.

Runs entirely in your browser

Everything is calculated on your device as you type; nothing is uploaded and there is no signup.

About this tool

Compound annual growth rate, or CAGR, is the single yearly rate at which a value would have to grow each year, compounding, to move from a starting amount to an ending amount over a set number of years. It smooths an uneven journey into one steady figure, which makes it the standard way to compare investments, revenue, or any quantity measured at two points in time. This calculator takes the beginning value, the ending value, and the number of years, then reports the rate as a percentage, the total growth over the whole period, and the growth multiple.

The math is the ending value divided by the beginning value, raised to the power of one over the number of years, minus one. Put in 10,000 that becomes 19,000 over five years and the rate is about 13.7% a year, a total growth of 90%, or 1.9 times the original. Because it describes a smooth compounding path, CAGR ignores the ups and downs in between, so treat it as a like-for-like summary rather than a record of each year. For projecting a balance forward from a known rate the compound interest calculator runs the same relationship the other way, and the ROI calculator covers total return when the length of time does not matter.

The calculator works in plain numbers with no currency symbol, so the answer is in whatever unit you enter, and it guards the cases that have no answer: a beginning value of zero, which would make the rate undefined, and a period of zero years. A negative ending value has no real annual rate, so the total growth is still shown while the yearly figure is marked as not defined. Everything runs in your browser as you type and nothing is uploaded.

Frequently asked questions

How is CAGR calculated?
It is the ending value divided by the beginning value, raised to the power of one over the number of years, minus one, shown as a percentage. Grow 10,000 to 19,000 over five years and the rate is about 13.7% a year.
What is the difference between CAGR and total growth?
Total growth is the overall change from start to end, ignoring time. CAGR spreads that change evenly across the years as a compounding annual rate, so a 90% total gain over five years works out to about 13.7% a year.
Can it show a negative rate?
Yes. If the ending value is below the beginning value the rate is negative, marked with its sign. If the ending value is zero the rate is minus 100%. A negative ending value has no real annual rate, so only the total growth is shown.
What inputs does it accept?
Plain numbers for the beginning and ending values and the number of years, which can be a decimal like 2.5. The beginning value and the number of years must both be above zero for a rate to exist.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser as you type. Nothing is sent to a server, stored, or logged.

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