Annual Growth Rate Calculator
How to Calculate Growth Rate Per Year
Calculating the growth rate per year is essential for businesses, investors, and analysts to understand the geometric progression of an investment or a metric over a specific time period. Unlike a simple average, the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) accounts for the effects of compounding, providing a more accurate representation of annual performance.
The Annual Growth Formula
To determine the annual growth rate (CAGR) manually, you use the following mathematical formula:
After performing this calculation, multiply the result by 100 to convert it into a percentage.
Step-by-Step Calculation Example
Let's say you started a blog that had 1,000 monthly visitors in its first year. After 3 years, the blog grew to 5,000 monthly visitors. Here is how you calculate the growth rate per year:
- Identify Beginning Value: 1,000
- Identify Ending Value: 5,000
- Determine Time Period: 3 Years
- Divide Ending by Beginning: 5,000 / 1,000 = 5
- Raise to the Power of 1/n: 5 ^ (1 / 3) ≈ 1.7099
- Subtract 1: 1.7099 – 1 = 0.7099
- Convert to Percentage: 70.99%
Why Annual Growth Matters
Using a "per year" metric allows you to compare different assets or business performances on an equal footing. For instance, comparing a 50% total growth over 5 years against a 20% total growth over 2 years is difficult without calculating the annual rate. The annual rate normalizes these figures so you can see which trend is truly stronger.
Common Use Cases
- Revenue Growth: Assessing how fast a startup is scaling year-over-year.
- Investment Portfolio: Evaluating the performance of stocks or mutual funds.
- Population Dynamics: Tracking the growth rate of a city or demographic.
- Website Traffic: Measuring the effectiveness of long-term SEO and marketing strategies.