What is a PPF Calculator?
A PPF calculator estimates the maturity value of a Public Provident Fund account from your yearly or monthly deposits, the PPF interest rate and the number of years, including 5-year extensions after the first 15 years.
PPF Calculator projects the Public Provident Fund the way the scheme credits interest: worked out monthly on the lowest balance between the 5th and the end of the month, and added once a year. Deposits up to ₹1.5 lakh a year are allowed and the account matures after 15 full financial years.
How does the PPF Calculator work?
PPF interest is worked out every month on the lowest balance between the 5th and the end of the month, and added to the account once a year. This calculator assumes deposits are made before the 5th.
Each year: balance = (balance + deposit) × (1 + rate)Worked example using the starting values on this page:
- Yearly investment
- ₹1,50,000
- Interest rate (p.a.)
- 7.1%
- Time period
- 15 years
- Deposit
- Yearly
- Total invested
- ₹22,50,000
- Interest earned
- ₹18,18,209
- Maturity value
- ₹40,68,209
How to use the PPF Calculator
- Enter the yearly investment (anywhere from ₹500 to ₹1,50,000). Type it in the box or drag the slider.
- Enter the interest rate (p.a.) (anywhere from 1.0% to 12.0%). Type it in the box or drag the slider.
- Enter the time period (anywhere from 15 years to 50 years). Type it in the box or drag the slider.
- Choose deposit: Yearly or Monthly.
- Read the maturity value at the top of the results, then check the breakdown below it.
- Change one input at a time to compare scenarios, and note how much each change moves the result.
Benefits of using the PPF Calculator
- Applies the scheme’s own rules (deposit limits, tenure and how interest is credited) rather than a generic formula.
- Shows the year-by-year picture so you can see how the balance builds over the life of the scheme.
- Lets you check the effect of a rate change, since government scheme rates are revised every quarter.
- Free and instant, with the assumptions listed, so you know what the estimate does and does not include.
Mistakes to avoid with the PPF Calculator
The common mistake is assuming today’s PPF rate will apply unchanged for 15 years.
Deposit timing matters: money deposited before the 5th earns interest for that month.
Helpful checks before using the result
These checks make a ppf more useful in practice.
- Start with a realistic base case rather than the first value that fits the range slider.
- Change one major assumption at a time so the effect stays easy to interpret.
- Use the result to compare scenarios, not as a final provider quote or guaranteed outcome.
- Verify rates, rules, and product terms separately before acting on the estimate.
PPF rules that change the result
The timing and the limits matter as much as the rate.
- Deposit before the 5th of the month (or before 5 April for a yearly deposit) so the money earns interest for that month.
- The maximum deposit is ₹1.5 lakh in a financial year; the minimum is ₹500.
- The rate is reset by the government each quarter, so a 15-year projection uses today’s rate as an assumption.
- After 15 years the account can be extended in blocks of 5 years, with or without fresh deposits.
Common PPF scenarios
Figures at 7.1% with yearly deposits at the start of the year.
₹1.5 lakh a year, 15 years
About ₹40,68,209 at maturity on ₹22.5 lakh invested.
₹5,000 a month, 15 years
About ₹15,77,840 on ₹9 lakh invested.
₹1.5 lakh a year, 25 years
About ₹1,03,08,015 with two 5-year extensions.
PPF Calculator FAQs
How is PPF interest calculated?
Interest is calculated each month on the lowest balance between the 5th and the last day of the month, at the rate in force that quarter, and credited to the account at the end of the financial year.
How much will I get in PPF after 15 years with ₹1.5 lakh a year?
At 7.1% with deposits made by 5 April each year, about ₹40,68,209.
How much will I get in PPF after 25 years?
With ₹1.5 lakh a year at 7.1% for 25 years, about ₹1,03,08,015. The real figure depends on future rate changes.
Is PPF interest taxable?
PPF interest and the maturity amount are tax-free. Deposits qualify for the Section 80C deduction under the old tax regime.
