How to Use the Population Growth Rate Calculator
Whether tracking city population, school enrollment, or membership numbers, this tool shows how much a group's size has grown or shrunk over time. Enter the past population, current population, and the time period between them, and it calculates both the total growth rate and the annual average rate of change (CAGR).
Growth rate (%) = (current population − past population) ÷ past population × 100, and CAGR = (current population ÷ past population)^(1/years) − 1. For example, if a population of 100,000 five years ago is now 95,000, the total change is −5%, but the annual average is about −1.02% per year. Looking at total change alone over multiple years can be misleading about the actual yearly pace, so checking CAGR alongside it gives a clearer picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Growth rate (%) = (current population − past population) ÷ past population × 100.
Over multiple years, the total rate alone doesn't show the average yearly pace. CAGR shows the average annual rate of change.
Both the growth rate and CAGR display as negative numbers, indicating a declining trend.