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Reverse CAGR calculator

Know the growth rate but not the destination? Enter a starting amount, a compound annual growth rate and a time period to see the future value — year by year.

Solve for
%
Time period
years
months
%

Try an example

 

—per year

Total return
—
—
Monthly CAGR
—
Compounded each month
Real CAGR
—
 
Doubling time
—
At this growth rate
Value over timeHover or tap the chart for any year

Your numbers in the formula

Same result in Excel / Sheets

Year-by-year growth table
Value at the end of each year at the calculated CAGR
PeriodValueGain that yearCumulative

How reverse CAGR works

The standard CAGR calculator answers “how fast did this grow?” A reverse CAGR calculator answers “where will this end up?” It applies one steady annual rate to a starting value for a set number of years:

Future value = Starting value × (1 + CAGR)^Years

At 12% a year, $10,000 becomes $17,623 after five years and $31,058 after ten. The second five years add more than twice as much as the first five, because growth is earned on growth — that is compounding, and it is why small differences in the rate matter so much over long periods.

Working backwards to a starting amount

To find how much you need today to reach a goal, divide instead of multiply:

Starting value = Target ÷ (1 + CAGR)^Years

Reaching $100,000 in ten years at 8% a year needs $46,319 invested now. At 6% it needs $55,839. Try a few rates in the calculator to see how sensitive the result is to your assumption.

Choosing a realistic growth rate

  • Use history as a guide, not a promise. Calculate the historical CAGR of the asset first, then test lower rates too.
  • Think in real terms for long goals. A 10% nominal projection with 4% inflation is about 5.8% of real growth. Test your projection in real terms as well as nominal.
  • Remember fees and taxes. A 1% yearly fee cuts a 30-year result by roughly a quarter.
  • Match the rate to your portfolio mix. An all-equity portfolio and a 60/40 portfolio deserve very different growth assumptions. Settle the mix first, then project it here.

Reverse CAGR questions

What is a reverse CAGR calculator?

It runs the CAGR formula backwards. Instead of finding the growth rate from two values, it takes a starting value and a growth rate and tells you the ending value: Future value = Start × (1 + CAGR)^Years.

How do I find the starting value needed to reach a target?

Divide the target by the growth factor: Start = Target ÷ (1 + CAGR)^Years. To reach $100,000 in 10 years at 8% a year you need $46,319 today.

What is the Excel formula for reverse CAGR?

Use =Start*(1+Rate)^Years, or =FV(Rate, Years, 0, -Start). For the starting value, use =PV(Rate, Years, 0, -Target).

Should I use a nominal or real growth rate?

Use a nominal rate to project the number you will see on a statement, and a real (after-inflation) rate to project what that money will buy. Subtracting your expected inflation rate from the growth rate is a close approximation.

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