The CAGR formula
CAGR = (ending value ÷ starting value)1 ÷ years − 1
Example
An investment grows from 10,000 to 18,000 in 5 years. 18,000 ÷ 10,000 = 1.8; 1.81/5 = 1.1247, so the CAGR is 12.47% a year, even though the total gain is 80%.
When CAGR is useful
- Comparing two investments held for different lengths of time.
- Showing a company’s revenue growth over several years in one number.
- Checking whether a fund beat inflation or a savings account.
Frequently asked questions
What does CAGR mean?
Compound annual growth rate: the steady yearly rate that would take a value from where it started to where it ended, if it had grown by the same percentage every year. Real growth goes up and down; CAGR smooths it into one number you can compare.
Why not just divide the total growth by the years?
Because growth compounds. Doubling in 5 years is 100% in total, but 20% a year would give 149%. The steady rate that doubles in 5 years is 14.87% a year.
Can I use it for things other than investments?
Yes: revenue, users, prices, population, anything measured at a start and an end. Partial years work too, such as 2.5 years.
What does a negative CAGR mean?
The value shrank. A CAGR of −10% means it lost about a tenth of its value each year on average.