GDP Growth Rate Calculator — Annual, Quarterly & CAGR
Compute GDP growth between any two periods — year-on-year, quarter-on-quarter, or over multiple years — and get the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for multi-period comparisons.
Period type
(GDP_end − GDP_start) ÷ GDP_start × 100
- 1
Change in GDP
21,200 − 20,000 = 1,200 - 2
Divide by start GDP
1,200 ÷ 20,000 = 0.06 - 3
GDP growth rate
0.06 × 100 = 6
How does this calculator work?
GDP growth rate = (GDP_end − GDP_start) / GDP_start × 100. For multi-year comparisons use CAGR = (GDP_end / GDP_start)^(1/n) − 1, which gives the constant annual rate that compounds to the total change. Quarterly growth can be annualised by raising to the power of 4.
Formula
How this is calculated
The simple GDP growth rate measures the percentage change in GDP between two periods: (GDP_end − GDP_start) / GDP_start × 100. For a single year this is the annual growth rate; for a single quarter it is the quarter-on-quarter growth rate. A positive result means the economy expanded; negative means it contracted (recession).
When comparing growth over multiple years, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is more informative than the simple cumulative change. CAGR = (GDP_end / GDP_start)^(1/n) − 1, where n is the number of years. It gives the constant annual rate that would take GDP from start to end, accounting for compounding. For example, GDP growing from 20 to 25 over 4 years has a CAGR of (25/20)^(1/4) − 1 ≈ 5.7% per year.
For quarterly or monthly data, the annualised rate converts the short-period growth to what it would amount to over a full year if sustained: Annual ≈ (GDP_end / GDP_start)^4 − 1 for quarterly (or ^12 for monthly). Annualised rates are commonly reported by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis for quarterly GDP. Values can be in any currency unit (dollars, euros, billions, etc.) as long as both readings use the same unit.
Frequently asked questions
Nominal GDP growth includes both volume growth and price increases (inflation). Real GDP growth removes the inflation component, measuring only how much output actually expanded. Official annual "GDP growth rate" figures almost always refer to real (inflation-adjusted) GDP growth. Enter real GDP values to compute real growth; enter nominal GDP to compute nominal growth.
A 30% total growth over 5 years could result from very different growth paths. CAGR converts it to a consistent annual equivalent (≈5.4% p.a.) that can be compared across economies or time spans. It assumes smooth compounding — actual year-to-year rates may vary — but is the standard way to express multi-year economic performance.
Statistical agencies (especially in the US) report GDP growth as an annualised quarterly rate: the quarter-on-quarter growth raised to the power of 4 — (Q_t / Q_{t-1})^4 − 1. This expresses what the growth rate would be for a full year if that quarterly pace continued. Most other countries report non-annualised quarterly growth (simply the quarter-on-quarter percentage change).
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). GDP Growth Rate Calculator — Annual, Quarterly & CAGR [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/gdp-growth-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "GDP Growth Rate Calculator — Annual, Quarterly & CAGR." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/gdp-growth-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "GDP Growth Rate Calculator — Annual, Quarterly & CAGR," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/gdp-growth-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_gdp_growth_calculator, title = {GDP Growth Rate Calculator — Annual, Quarterly & CAGR}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/gdp-growth-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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