CAGR calculator

The return that
showed up while you
weren't looking.

Compound annual growth rate smooths a bumpy holding period into one number: the steady yearly rate that would have gotten you from what you put in to what you ended up with.

principal → ending value, one smooth rate between them
Run the numbers

Enter your holding.

Three things: what you put in, how long you held it, and what it was worth when you looked again.

Your investment

$
Enter the amount you started with.
Enter a start and end date, with the end after the start.
$
Enter what it was worth at the end.

Result

Fill in the three fields and your CAGR shows up here — along with the total return and how many years it compounded over.
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Compound annual growth rate
Held for —
Total return —
Growth —
Under the hood

How the three numbers become one rate.

01

Divide ending value by initial investment to get the total growth multiple: ending ÷ initial

02

Measure the holding period in years, including fractional years for partial-year stretches: (end date − start date) ÷ 365.25

03

Take that multiple to the power of one over the years, then subtract one: multiple^(1/years) − 1

Quick reference

How long to double, at a steady rate.

Same math as above, run backwards: hold your money at a fixed annual rate long enough, and it doubles. Here's how long that takes at a few common rates.

Growth rate Years to double
3%23.4yrs
5%14.2yrs
8%9.0yrs
10%7.3yrs
12%6.1yrs
15%5.0yrs
25%3.1yrs
%
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