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CAGR calculator
One honest number for how fast your money grew.
Enter what you put in, what it is worth today and how many years it took. You get the compound annual growth rate, the steady yearly rate that turns the first number into the second. Switch to reverse mode to see where a sum could reach at a rate you choose.
₹1,00,000 became ₹2,50,000 in 7 years
13.99% a yearNot 21.4% a year, which is what you get by dividing the 150% total gain by 7. That shortcut ignores compounding.
Compound annual growth rate
13.99%
- Starting value
- ₹1,00,000
- Value at the end
- ₹2,50,000
- Total gain
- ₹1,50,000
- Absolute return
- 150.0%
- Money doubles roughly every
- 5.3 years
Rates here are an assumed rate for illustration or a record of the past, never a promise. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.
Same gain, very different speed
A fund factsheet or a friend says "it doubled". That tells you nothing until you know over how long. Here is ₹1 lakh growing to ₹2 lakh, and ₹1 lakh growing to ₹1.5 lakh, over different periods.
| Start | End | Years | Absolute return | CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹1,00,000 | ₹2,00,000 | 3 | 100% | 25.99% |
| ₹1,00,000 | ₹2,00,000 | 6 | 100% | 12.25% |
| ₹1,00,000 | ₹2,00,000 | 12 | 100% | 5.95% |
| ₹1,00,000 | ₹1,50,000 | 1 | 50% | 50.00% |
| ₹1,00,000 | ₹1,50,000 | 5 | 50% | 8.45% |
Made-up values to show the arithmetic, not the record of any product.
Average is not CAGR
Five good-looking years that earned less than they seem
Say ₹1 lakh moved like this over five years. Add the five yearly returns and divide by five and you get an "average" of 8.4% a year. The money actually grew at 6.84% a year.
- Year 1+25%
- Year 2−15%
- Year 3+30%
- Year 4−10%
- Year 5+12%
End value: ₹1,39,230. A fall of 15% needs a rise of about 17.6% just to get back level, which is why simple averages flatter a bumpy ride. Always ask for CAGR.
Yearly figures are invented for illustration.
Rule of 72
A quick check you can do in your head
Divide 72 by the yearly rate and you get, roughly, the years it takes money to double. It is close enough for a conversation and saves you opening this page.
Rates are an assumed rate for illustration.
exact: 11.9
exact: 9.0
exact: 7.3
exact: 6.1
Know its limits
Where CAGR gives the wrong answer
CAGR assumes one lump sum went in on day one and nothing came in or out after. Plenty of real money does not behave like that.
Get your real returns checked- SIPs need XIRR, not CAGR. Each monthly instalment stays invested for a different length of time. Use XIRR, which weighs every cash flow by its date. Your account statement usually shows it.
- Under one year, it exaggerates. A 6% gain in 3 months works out to over 26% a year as CAGR. That does not mean the next 9 months will match.
- Start and end dates change everything. The same fund can show a very different 5-year CAGR if you measure from a market peak or from a low. Look at several periods.
- It hides the ride. Two investments with the same CAGR can have very different falls along the way. Check how deep the worst year was before you pick one.
- It is before tax and charges unless you enter the after-tax value yourself. Rules as of 2026, check current rules.
Not sure your returns are right?
Send us the numbers, we will read them with you.
Many people hold old funds, a few policies and some FDs, and have no idea what each is earning. Tell us roughly what you hold. We reply on WhatsApp with the real growth rate of each and what we would keep, stop or add.
- XIRR worked out for your SIPs
- Each holding compared against its category
- No charge for the first review
What is the CAGR formula?
CAGR = (End value ÷ Start value)1 ÷ years − 1. For ₹1,00,000 to ₹2,50,000 in 7 years: 2.5 to the power 1/7 is 1.1399, so CAGR is 13.99%. The reverse is End = Start × (1 + rate)years, which is what reverse mode uses.
What is a good CAGR?
Compare it with the right yardstick. A debt fund should be judged against deposits and other debt options, an equity fund against its category index over 5 or more years. Also subtract inflation: a 7% CAGR with prices rising 6% a year is about 1% of real growth.
Can CAGR be negative?
Yes. If the end value is lower than the start value, CAGR is negative. ₹1,00,000 falling to ₹90,000 over 2 years is a CAGR of about −5.1% a year.
Why does my mutual fund statement show XIRR instead?
Because you probably invested more than once. XIRR handles many dates and amounts, CAGR handles only one start and one end. For a single lump sum held untouched, the two give the same answer.
Is a fund's past CAGR what I will earn?
No. Past CAGR tells you what happened over one particular stretch of time. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully. Past performance may or may not be sustained in future.
Where to go next
Once you know the rate, the next question is usually where the money should sit. These pages explain each option in plain words.