CAGR Calculator
Key Takeaway
CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) measures the smooth annual return of an investment. A stock that grows from ₹100 to ₹200 in 5 years has a CAGR of 14.87% , the industry standard for comparing performance.
Yearly Compounding Curve
What to do next
Based on your CAGR Calculator, here are the tools you should try next:
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The True Measure of Growth
Absolute returns are deceptive. If someone says 'My property doubled in value!', it sounds amazing. But if it took 15 years to double, that's actually a terrible investment. Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) smooths out volatility and tells you exactly what fixed rate your money grew at every year, allowing you to compare real estate with FDs or mutual funds.
The Real Estate Reality Check
His nephew, a finance student, calculates the CAGR.
- Initial Value: ₹15 Lakhs
- Final Value: ₹45 Lakhs
- Years: 12 (2012 to 2024)
- Formula: (45/15)^(1/12) - 1
- **CAGR: 9.59% per year**.
Uncle Ravi is shocked. A 9.59% return is decent, but it's not the multi-bagger he thought it was. A standard Nifty 50 index fund over the same 12 years delivered roughly 13% CAGR. Without calculating CAGR, our brains easily fall victim to the illusion of large absolute numbers over long timeframes.
CAGR: The One Number That Reveals Whether Your Investment Is Actually Working
Your mutual fund's fact sheet says "returns since inception: 287%." Your friend's portfolio is up "₹4.3 lakhs." Your stock WhatsApp group is showing "10x in 3 years." None of these numbers are directly comparable , unless you convert them all into CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate).
CAGR is the single metric that normalises all investments to an apples-to-apples annual return rate. It answers: "If this investment grew at a constant rate each year, what rate would produce the same result?" A 287% total return over 12 years is a 12.4% CAGR , solid, but not spectacular. A "10x in 3 years" is a 115% CAGR , which almost certainly involves either exceptional luck or exceptional risk.
The formula: CAGR = (Ending Value / Beginning Value)^(1/n) – 1, where n is the number of years. Our calculator handles this instantly, and also calculates the absolute gain and total return percentage.
When evaluating mutual funds, compare CAGR over 5-year and 10-year periods against the benchmark index CAGR. A fund that consistently beats its benchmark by 2–3% CAGR over 10 years is genuinely skilled. One that beats it by 0.5% is barely earning its expense ratio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CAGR and how is it different from absolute returns?
CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) shows the annualized rate of return assuming steady growth. Absolute return just shows total gain. ₹1 Lakh growing to ₹2 Lakhs in 6 years is 100% absolute return but only 12.2% CAGR.
Is CAGR a reliable measure?
CAGR is great for comparing investments over the same period. However, it hides volatility. An investment that gained 50% one year and lost 30% the next has a very different experience than one that gained 7% each year, even if the CAGR is similar.
What is a good CAGR for long-term investing?
For Indian equity: 12-15% CAGR over 10+ years is realistic. For debt: 6-8%. For real estate: 7-10%. Always compare against inflation (6-7%) to get real CAGR.
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