CAGR Calculator
Enter a beginning value, an ending value, and the period — in years, months, days, or exact dates — to see the compound annual growth rate — the constant yearly rate that would take you from one to the other.
Two values, one period
Starting amount, from $0.01 through $1 trillion.
Ending amount, up to $1 trillion.
Decimals allowed, such as 2.5, from 0.01 through 100 years.
Your investment grew at 12.1353% per year over 8 years.
- Total growth
- 150.0000%
- Beginning value
- $10,000.00
- Ending value
- $25,000.00
How CAGR is calculated
The compound annual growth rate expresses growth between two points in time as a single, smoothed annual rate — as if the investment had grown by the same percentage every year. It ignores the ups and downs in between, which makes it useful for comparing investments over different periods on equal footing. Total growth, by contrast, is the simple overall percentage change from beginning to ending value.
CAGR = (Ending value / Beginning value)1/Years − 1- Beginning value
- Starting amount
- Ending value
- Final amount
- Years
- Length of the period, can be fractional
$10,000 growing to $25,000 over 8 years
Suppose an investment began at $10,000 and grew to $25,000 over 8 years. Dividing $25,000 by $10,000 gives a growth multiple of 2.5. Raising 2.5 to the power of 1/8 and subtracting 1 gives a CAGR of 12.1353% per year. The total growth over the whole period is 150% — the value grew by two and a half times.
This is an educational calculation based only on the values you provide. It does not look up live prices, and it is not investment advice.
What this calculator assumes
- Growth is smoothed into a single constant annual rate; actual year-to-year returns can vary widely.
- No contributions, withdrawals, dividends, taxes, or fees are modeled — only the beginning and ending values matter.
- Years can be fractional, such as 2.5, and the beginning value must be greater than zero.
- Results are rounded for display.
CAGR FAQ
Can I enter the period in months, days, or exact dates?
Yes. Use the unit switch on the Number of years field to type the period in years, months, or days — or pick start and end dates from the calendar. Every option is converted to an exact year count (365.25 days per year) before the math runs, so all four give the same answer.
What’s the difference between CAGR and total growth?
Total growth is the overall percentage change from beginning to ending value across the whole period. CAGR converts that change into an equivalent constant yearly rate, which makes it easier to compare investments held for different lengths of time.
Does CAGR account for volatility?
No. CAGR smooths out all the ups and downs into a single annual rate, so two investments with the same start and end values have the same CAGR even if one was far more volatile along the way.
Sources and review notes
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Investor.gov — compounding and growth education
- Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (canada.ca) — rate of return
Methodology last checked Jul 14, 2026. Formula implementation is covered by deterministic unit tests. No financial professional review is claimed yet.