📈 Compound Interest

$10,000 at 8% for 10 Years

Investing $10,000 at 8% annual compound interest for 10 years grows to $21,589. That's $11,589 earned in interest on top of your original $10,000.

If you want to adjust the return assumption, extend the timeframe, or add regular contributions, use the compound interest calculator.

If you want the plain-English explanation behind the numbers, read our guide to compound interest.

Compound Interest Calculator
Australia 2026
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%
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Total value after 10 years
$21,589
Amount invested$10,000
Interest earned$11,589
Interest multiplier2.16×
Year-by-year growth
YearBalanceInterest
Yr 1$10,800+$800
Yr 2$11,664+$864
Yr 3$12,597+$933
Yr 4$13,605+$1,008
Yr 5$14,693+$1,088
Yr 6$15,869+$1,175
Yr 7$17,138+$1,269
Yr 8$18,509+$1,371
Yr 9$19,990+$1,481
Yr 10$21,589+$1,599
Final balance after 10 years
$21,589
Invested
$10,000
Interest earned
$11,589
Multiplier
2.16×

How $10,000 grows at 8%

Compound interest earns returns on your returns — not just your original investment. At 8% per year, your money doubles every 9 years (the Rule of 72). Over 10 years, that compounds to a 2.16× multiplier.

In year 1, $10,000 earns $800 in interest. By year 10, the annual interest has grown to $1,599 — because each year's interest is calculated on a larger balance.

This is why longer holding periods matter so much. The later years do more of the heavy lifting, especially once the balance is large enough to generate bigger dollar returns each year.

$10,000 for 10 years at different rates
RateFinal balanceInterest earnedMultiplier
4%$14,802$4,8021.48×
5%$16,289$6,2891.63×
6%$17,908$7,9081.79×
7%$19,672$9,6721.97×
8% ◀$21,589$11,5892.16×
9%$23,674$13,6742.37×
10%$25,937$15,9372.59×

Year-by-year projection

YearBalanceInterest this yearTotal interestGrowth
Year 1$10,800+$800$8001.08×
Year 2$11,664+$864$1,6641.17×
Year 3$12,597+$933$2,5971.26×
Year 4$13,605+$1,008$3,6051.36×
Year 5$14,693+$1,088$4,6931.47×
Year 6$15,869+$1,175$5,8691.59×
Year 7$17,138+$1,269$7,1381.71×
Year 8$18,509+$1,371$8,5091.85×
Year 9$19,990+$1,481$9,9902.00×
Year 10$21,589+$1,599$11,5892.16×

Growth chart

Balance growth over 10 years
$5k$11k$16k$22kYr1Yr5Yr10
Principal
Interest earned

Frequently asked questions

Related compound interest scenarios

Use these nearby examples to compare what changes when you keep the same starting balance, extend the investing period, or test a more aggressive return assumption.

Compound interest guide and tools

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