Year

At 7%

At 5%

Difference

Start

$1,000.00$1,000

$0.00$0

$1,070.00$1,070

$1,050.00$1,050

$20.00$20

$1,144.90$1,145

$1,102.50$1,103

$42.40$42

$1,225.04$1,225

$1,157.63$1,158

$67.42$67

$1,310.80$1,311

$1,215.51$1,216

$95.29$95

$1,402.55$1,403

$1,276.28$1,276

$126.27$126

$1,500.73$1,501

$1,340.10$1,340

$160.63$161

$1,605.78$1,606

$1,407.10$1,407

$198.68$199

$1,718.19$1,718

$1,477.46$1,477

$240.73$241

$1,838.46$1,838

$1,551.33$1,551

$287.13$287

$1,967.15$1,967

$1,628.89$1,629

$338.26$338

$2,104.85$2,105

$1,710.34$1,710

$394.51$395

$2,252.19$2,252

$1,795.86$1,796

$456.34$456

$2,409.85$2,410

$1,885.65$1,886

$524.20$524

$2,578.53$2,579

$1,979.93$1,980

$598.60$599

$2,759.03$2,759

$2,078.93$2,079

$680.10$680

$2,952.16$2,952

$2,182.87$2,183

$769.29$769

$3,158.82$3,159

$2,292.02$2,292

$866.80$867

$3,379.93$3,380

$2,406.62$2,407

$973.31$973

$3,616.53$3,617

$2,526.95$2,527

$1,089.58$1,090

$3,869.68$3,870

$2,653.30$2,653

$1,216.39$1,216

$4,140.56$4,141

$2,785.96$2,786

$1,354.60$1,355

$4,430.40$4,430

$2,925.26$2,925

$1,505.14$1,505

$4,740.53$4,741

$3,071.52$3,072

$1,669.01$1,669

$5,072.37$5,072

$3,225.10$3,225

$1,847.27$1,847

$5,427.43$5,427

$3,386.35$3,386

$2,041.08$2,041

$5,807.35$5,807

$3,555.67$3,556

$2,251.68$2,252

$6,213.87$6,214

$3,733.46$3,733

$2,480.41$2,480

$6,648.84$6,649

$3,920.13$3,920

$2,728.71$2,729

$7,114.26$7,114

$4,116.14$4,116

$2,998.12$2,998

$7,612.26$7,612

$4,321.94$4,322

$3,290.31$3,290

$8,145.11$8,145

$4,538.04$4,538

$3,607.07$3,607

$8,715.27$8,715

$4,764.94$4,765

$3,950.33$3,950

$9,325.34$9,325

$5,003.19$5,003

$4,322.15$4,322

$9,978.11$9,978

$5,253.35$5,253

$4,724.77$4,725

$10,676.58$10,677

$5,516.02$5,516

$5,160.57$5,161

$11,423.94$11,424

$5,791.82$5,792

$5,632.13$5,632

$12,223.62$12,224

$6,081.41$6,081

$6,142.21$6,142

$13,079.27$13,079

$6,385.48$6,385

$6,693.79$6,694

$13,994.82$13,995

$6,704.75$6,705

$7,290.07$7,290

$14,974.46$14,974

$7,039.99$7,040

$7,934.47$7,934

What Is Investment Growth?

Investment growth is how much an amount of money could increase over time. Each year's return is added to the investment, so the next year's return is earned on a larger amount. This is called compounding, and it's why the growth curve gets steeper the longer it runs, and why a small difference in the rate can become a large difference in dollars.

What this calculator shows, and what it doesn't

A steady return: it uses the same rate every year. Real investments rise and fall from year to year, and can lose money.
Two rates side by side: comparing them shows how much the rate matters, not what any investment will earn.
No costs: it leaves out taxes, fees and inflation, which all lower what you actually keep.

Which calculator should I use?

This calculator: to compare what one amount becomes at two different rates.
Compound Interest calculator: when you also add regular deposits.
Time Value of Money calculator: to solve for the rate or years instead, or compound more often than yearly.
Rule of 72 calculator: for a quick estimate of how long money takes to double.
S&P 500 Return calculator: to see what the stock market actually returned over a past period.

How to Calculate Investment Growth

The value after n years, with the return added once a year, is:

FV = PV \times {(1 + r)}^{n}

FV: the future value.
PV: the initial investment.
r: the yearly rate as a decimal (7% = 0.07).
n: the number of years.

The doubling time is how long it takes the value to reach twice the investment:

Years to double = \frac{\ln (2)}{\ln (1 + r)}

Example

$1,000 for 40 years, at 7% and at 5%:

At 7%: $1,000 × 1.07⁴⁰ = $14,974.46
At 5%: $1,000 × 1.05⁴⁰ = $7,039.99
Difference: $14,974.46 − $7,039.99 = $7,934.47
Doubling time at 7%: ln(2) ÷ ln(1.07) = about 10.2 years

How to Use the Investment Growth Calculator

"If I invest $1,000 for 40 years, what could it grow to at 7% a year, and how much difference would it make if it only earned 5%?" This calculator answers that.

Let's enter the numbers for this example in each box. They are already filled in when the calculator opens, so you can follow along and then change any box to match your own numbers.

Initial Investment: Enter 1,000, which is the amount you start with. It must be greater than 0 and less than $1 billion.
Growth Rate: Enter 7, which is the yearly return you want to test, in percent. It must be from 0 to 99.99.
Years: Enter 40, which is how long the money stays invested. It must be a whole number from 1 to 100.
Compared Rate: Enter 5, which is a second yearly return to compare with. It must be from 0 to 99.99.

Calculate and Reset

Click Calculate to see your results. If a box has a problem, such as a part of a year, a message pops up under that box instead. With the default numbers you get:

Your Results: a short summary in words of both rates, and how long money takes to double.
Final value: the headline number, $14,974.46.
Total Growth, Value at 5%, Difference and Doubling Time: $13,974.46, $7,039.99, $7,934.47 and 10.2 years.
How your investment grows: a line for each rate with the gap between them shaded. For 5 years or more, a Linear / Log switch changes the scale: on a log scale, equal percentage moves look equal.
Where the final value comes from: one bar split into your investment, the growth at the lower rate, and the extra from the higher rate. Links under it open the Compound Interest and Time Value of Money calculators with your numbers filled in.
Yearly table: the value at both rates each year, and the difference. Download Excel saves it with the formulas, so you can change a number and see it update.
Share Results: a link that opens this calculator with your numbers filled in. Copy it, or share it on Facebook or X.

Amounts of $1 million or more are shortened, for example $1.25M. Click Reset to put every box back to its default and show the default results again.

Investment Growth Calculator

Your Results

How your investment grows

Where the final value comes from