🏦 PPF Calculator

Calculate the maturity value of your Public Provident Fund — India's government-backed, tax-free long-term savings scheme.

🏦 PPF Details
Maximum ₹1,50,000 per financial year (also the 80C deduction limit)
%
Current rate: 7.1% p.a., compounded annually. Revised quarterly by the government.
📈 Results
Maturity Value
Total Investment
Interest Earned
Investment vs Interest
Year-wise Growth
Year-wise Balance
YearOpening BalanceDepositInterestClosing Balance
🏦

Enter Your PPF Details

Set your yearly investment, interest rate, and duration to calculate the maturity value.

Guide

What Is the PPF Calculator?

Last updated: July 2026 · Reviewed by the NeftCal editorial team

A PPF calculator projects the maturity value of a Public Provident Fund account — India's flagship long-term, government-backed savings scheme — from your yearly investment, the interest rate, and the tenure. Working as a combined PPF maturity calculator and PPF interest calculator, it's built for anyone planning retirement savings, a child's education fund, or any other long-horizon goal who wants to see how a fixed yearly contribution compounds over the mandatory 15-year lock-in, or over an extended tenure beyond 15 years in 5-year blocks.

You enter your planned yearly investment (up to the ₹1,50,000 annual cap), the interest rate (defaulting to the current government-notified rate of 7.1% p.a.), and the tenure in years. The calculator applies the annuity-due compounding formula — M = P × [((1+r)ⁿ − 1) ÷ r] × (1+r) — which assumes each year's deposit is made at the start of the financial year, the convention that maximizes interest and matches how PPF interest is actually credited by banks and post offices.

Who Should Use This Calculator

Salaried employees looking to supplement their EPF savings, self-employed individuals and freelancers who have no employer-sponsored retirement scheme, parents building a long-term fund for a child's education or marriage, and anyone wanting a zero-risk, tax-free component in a broader retirement plan alongside vehicles like NPS or a gratuity payout.

Why It Matters for Financial Planning

PPF is one of the few investment vehicles in India with full EEE (Exempt-Exempt-Exempt) tax status — the contribution qualifies for a Section 80C deduction, the interest is tax-free, and the maturity amount is tax-free too. Because the account locks funds in for 15 years (or longer with an extension), seeing the year-by-year growth and total maturity value upfront helps you decide how much of your annual investment budget to allocate to PPF versus other options like FDs, EPF, or market-linked SIPs. Modeling this before you commit avoids the frustration of realizing years into a 15-year lock-in that you allocated too much or too little.

Common Scenarios

  • Comparing a PPF-only retirement plan against a combination of EPF and NPS
  • Projecting a child's higher-education fund using an 18-20 year PPF horizon
  • Deciding whether to extend a maturing PPF account with fresh contributions or let it sit interest-only
  • Checking how much of the ₹1.5 lakh Section 80C limit to allocate to PPF versus other 80C instruments
  • Stress-testing your long-term corpus against a future PPF rate cut or hike

Tips for Accurate Results

  • Deposit before the 5th of April, or the 5th of any month, to earn interest on that deposit for the full month, since interest is calculated on the lowest balance between the 5th and the last day of the month
  • Model a lower interest rate than the current 7.1% if you're projecting many years ahead, since the government revises the PPF rate quarterly and it can change
  • Remember the ₹1,50,000 annual cap — amounts deposited above this limit don't earn interest and aren't eligible for the 80C deduction
  • If you plan to keep the account open past maturity, compare extending with fresh contributions versus extending without further deposits by re-running the calculator with different tenures
Formula

How PPF Maturity Is Calculated

This calculator assumes you invest at the start of each financial year, which maximizes interest — the standard PPF calculation convention

Annuity Due Formula
M = P × [((1 + r)ⁿ − 1) ÷ r] × (1 + r)

Where:
M = Maturity value
P = Yearly investment (₹500 to ₹1,50,000)
r = Annual interest rate, decimal (currently 7.1% → 0.071)
n = Number of years (15, or 20/25/30/35/40 with extensions)

⚙️ Why This Formula Works

PPF interest is credited annually but calculated monthly on the lowest balance between the 5th and last day of each month. If a deposit is made on or before the 5th of April every year, it earns interest for the entire financial year — mathematically equivalent to an annuity-due (deposit-at-start-of-period) calculation. The formula compounds each year's opening balance plus that year's deposit at the annual rate, repeated for n years, which is exactly what the ordinary annuity formula multiplied by (1+r) represents.

🎯 When to Use This Formula

  • Projecting the maturity value of a new or existing PPF account over the standard 15-year term
  • Modeling an extended tenure of 20 to 40 years in 5-year blocks
  • Comparing outcomes at different contribution levels, up to the ₹1,50,000 annual cap
  • Stress-testing a future interest rate scenario against the current 7.1% rate

📋 Assumptions

  • The full yearly amount is deposited at the start of each financial year (before April 5th)
  • The interest rate you enter stays fixed for the entire modeled tenure
  • No partial withdrawals or loans are taken against the balance
  • Every year's deposit is the same amount you entered

⚠️ Limitations of the Formula

  • The PPF interest rate is revised quarterly by the government — this calculator can't predict future changes
  • Doesn't model irregular or late-in-the-year deposits, which earn less interest in reality
  • Doesn't account for partial withdrawals (allowed from year 7) or loans (allowed years 3–6)
  • Assumes a constant yearly deposit — doesn't model a step-up contribution pattern
Walkthrough

Step-by-Step: How to Use the PPF Calculator

From yearly investment to maturity value in under a minute

Enter your yearly investment

Input the amount you plan to deposit each financial year — anywhere from ₹500 up to the ₹1,50,000 annual cap, which also doubles as your maximum Section 80C deduction for PPF.

Set the annual interest rate

The field defaults to 7.1% p.a., the current government-notified rate. Leave it as-is for a best-estimate projection, or lower it slightly to stress-test a long tenure against a possible future rate cut.

Choose your investment duration

Select the standard 15-year lock-in, or an extended tenure of 20, 25, 30, 35, or 40 years to model continuing the account through one or more 5-year extension blocks.

Click Calculate Maturity

The calculator applies the annuity-due formula instantly and displays your maturity value, total investment, and interest earned.

Review your results

Check the investment-vs-interest chart, the year-wise growth chart, and the full year-wise balance table to see exactly how your corpus builds year by year.

Example

Worked Example

A full ₹1,50,000-a-year PPF projection over the standard 15-year term

Scenario

Suppose you deposit the maximum ₹1,50,000 every financial year, before April 5th, into a PPF account earning the current 7.1% p.a., for the full 15-year lock-in.

Yearly Investment (P)₹1,50,000
Interest Rate (r)7.1%
Tenure (n)15 years
CompoundingAnnually, annuity-due
Step 1 — Grow (1+r) to the power n: (1 + 0.071)¹⁵ ≈ 2.79796.
Step 2 — Apply the annuity-due formula: M = 1,50,000 × [(2.79796 − 1) ÷ 0.071] × 1.071 = 1,50,000 × 25.3234 × 1.071 ≈ 1,50,000 × 27.1214 ≈ ₹40,68,206.
Step 3 — Total investment and interest earned: Total investment = ₹1,50,000 × 15 = ₹22,50,000. Interest earned = ₹40,68,206 − ₹22,50,000 ≈ ₹18,18,206.
Maturity Value
₹40,68,206
Total Investment
₹22,50,000
Interest Earned
₹18,18,206
YearOpening BalanceDepositInterestClosing Balance
1₹0₹1,50,000₹10,650₹1,60,650
2₹1,60,650₹1,50,000₹22,046₹3,32,696
15₹36,72,650 (approx.)₹1,50,000₹2,45,556 (approx.)₹40,68,206

Explanation: Notice how the interest credited each year keeps growing — from about ₹10,650 in year 1 to well over ₹2 lakh in year 15 — because interest compounds on an ever-larger balance. Roughly 45% of the final maturity value in this example comes from interest alone, illustrating why starting a PPF account early and staying consistent for the full tenure matters more than trying to time contributions later in life.

Extension example: if the same account is extended for one more 5-year block (20 years total) with continued ₹1,50,000 deposits at 7.1%, the maturity value grows to roughly ₹66,58,000 — illustrating how each additional 5-year block adds disproportionately more than the previous one, purely from compounding on a larger base.

Interpretation

Understanding Your PPF Maturity Value

How the interest rate you model changes your 15-year growth multiple

A useful way to sanity-check a PPF projection is the growth multiple — maturity value divided by total investment, for the standard 15-year term. This isn't an official benchmark, but it's a quick way to see whether the rate you've entered is producing a realistic outcome.

Modeled Interest Rate15-Year Growth MultipleRead
Below 6%~1.4x – 1.6x investedBelow the recent historical PPF band — still tax-free and guaranteed, but a smaller multiple
7% – 8% (current: 7.1%)~1.7x – 1.9x investedMatches the current and recent historical PPF rate range
9% and above~2.1x invested or moreAbove the current rate — useful for stress-testing an optimistic future scenario

For long-term planners: since PPF's rate is revised quarterly and has generally stayed in the 7–8% band in recent years, using the default 7.1% is a reasonable base case. Model a lower rate for a conservative projection, especially for tenures beyond 20 years, since a lot can change over that horizon.

For extension decisions: compare the growth multiple at your planned tenure against a shorter one — each additional 5-year block compounds on an already-large balance, so extensions tend to add disproportionately more value than the same block would have added earlier.

Risk considerations: PPF carries no market or credit risk since it's a sovereign-backed scheme, but it does carry reinvestment/rate risk — the government can revise the rate every quarter, and a lower future rate reduces your actual maturity value versus this projection.

ℹ️

This tool provides general estimates for educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized financial or tax advice. PPF rules, interest rates, and tax treatment can change — confirm current details with the National Savings Institute, India Post, your bank, or a licensed financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Use Cases

Practical Use Cases for the PPF Calculator

Where this PPF calculator earns its keep

🏖️

Retirement corpus building

Model PPF as a guaranteed, tax-free layer of your overall retirement savings alongside EPF and NPS.

🎓

Child's education or marriage fund

Project a long-horizon, risk-free fund for a child's higher education or wedding expenses.

🧾

Section 80C tax planning

Decide how much of your ₹1.5 lakh 80C limit to allocate to PPF versus ELSS, life insurance, or other instruments.

🛡️

Risk-free allocation

Anchor a portfolio with a sovereign-guaranteed, zero-volatility asset alongside market-linked investments.

💼

Self-employed retirement planning

Build a disciplined retirement fund when you have no employer-sponsored EPF to rely on.

🔄

Extension decision-making

Compare extending a maturing account with fresh contributions versus letting it grow interest-only.

📊

Rate-sensitivity testing

See how a quarterly rate revision, up or down, would shift your projected maturity value over a long tenure.

👨‍👩‍👧

Minor's account planning

Project the maturity value of a PPF account opened by a guardian on behalf of a minor child.

🏦

Passbook cross-check

Verify that the interest your bank or post office has credited roughly matches the expected annual growth.

⚖️

PPF vs. FD vs. SIP comparison

Compare a guaranteed, tax-free PPF projection against taxable FD returns or market-linked SIP scenarios.

Pros & Cons

Advantages and Limitations

What PPF does well, and where it falls short of other options

✅ Advantages

  • Sovereign (government) guarantee — zero credit risk
  • Full EEE tax status: 80C deduction, tax-free interest, tax-free maturity
  • Currently 7.1% p.a., competitive against post-tax Fixed Deposit returns
  • Can be opened at any nationalized or major private bank, or a post office, with as little as ₹500
  • Section 80C deduction of up to ₹1.5 lakh on your own contribution
  • Loan facility available between the 3rd and 6th financial year
  • Partial withdrawals allowed from the 7th financial year
  • Extendable indefinitely in 5-year blocks, with or without further contributions
  • Balance is protected from attachment under most court decrees
  • Can be opened by a guardian on behalf of a minor
  • Zero market volatility — the interest rate can only be revised, never reduce past balance
  • Encourages long-term financial discipline through its lock-in structure
  • Nomination facility available for smooth transfer to heirs

⚠️ Limitations

  • Mandatory 15-year lock-in significantly reduces liquidity
  • Annual contribution cap of ₹1,50,000 limits how much you can shelter in PPF alone
  • NRIs cannot open new PPF accounts (existing accounts may continue under specific rules)
  • The interest rate is revised quarterly — not truly fixed for the full tenure
  • Real, inflation-adjusted returns can be modest in high-inflation years
  • Only one PPF account per individual (excluding a separate minor's account as guardian)
  • No partial withdrawal at all in the first 6 financial years
  • Depositing late in the month or year forfeits that month's interest
Reference

PPF vs. EPF vs. NPS

Quick-reference comparison of India's three major retirement savings vehicles

FeaturePPFEPFNPS
Who can open itAny resident individualSalaried employees (mandatory above a wage threshold)Any Indian citizen, 18–70
ContributionVoluntary, ₹500–₹1,50,000/yr12% of basic salary (employee + matching employer)Voluntary, market-linked, tiered
ReturnsFixed, government-notified (7.1% currently)Fixed, EPFO-notified annuallyMarket-linked (equity/debt mix)
Lock-in15 years, extendableUntil retirement/resignationUntil age 60, partial annuitization required
Tax treatmentEEE (fully exempt)EEE (fully exempt, with conditions)EET (annuity portion taxed as income)
Employer contributionNoneYes, matchedOptional, employer-scheme dependent

Common Mistakes and Expert Tips

❌ Common Mistakes

  • Depositing after the 5th of the month, or late in the financial year, losing that period's interest
  • Exceeding the ₹1,50,000 annual cap, which earns no interest on the excess
  • Forgetting to extend the account (with or without contributions) before the 1-year window after maturity closes
  • Assuming the 7.1% rate is fixed for the full 15 years rather than revised quarterly
  • Opening multiple PPF accounts in one's own name, which is not permitted

💡 Expert Tips & Best Practices

  • Deposit the full yearly amount as a single lump sum before April 5th to maximize interest
  • Use PPF as the guaranteed, tax-free anchor of a portfolio alongside market-linked SIPs
  • Model a slightly lower rate than 7.1% for tenures beyond 20 years, as a conservative estimate
  • Submit the extension form (Form H) within one year of maturity if you want to continue contributing
  • Keep the account active with the minimum ₹500 deposit even in lean years to avoid it going dormant
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about PPF

What is a PPF calculator and how does it work?
A PPF calculator projects the maturity value of a Public Provident Fund account from three inputs — your yearly investment, the interest rate, and the tenure — using the annuity-due compounding formula that assumes each year's deposit is made at the start of the financial year. It instantly shows your total investment, interest earned, and maturity value, plus a year-by-year balance table.
What are the minimum and maximum PPF investment limits?
You can invest a minimum of ₹500 and a maximum of ₹1,50,000 per financial year, in up to 12 installments. Investing more than ₹1,50,000 does not earn interest on the excess and is not eligible for tax deduction.
Can I withdraw money from PPF before 15 years?
Partial withdrawal is allowed from the 7th financial year onward, subject to limits (the lower of 50% of the balance at the end of the 4th preceding year, or the immediately preceding year). Premature closure is allowed only in specific cases like serious illness or higher education, after 5 years, with a 1% interest penalty.
What happens after the 15-year PPF maturity period?
You have three options: withdraw the entire maturity amount and close the account, extend the account in blocks of 5 years with fresh contributions, or extend without further contributions while continuing to earn interest on the existing balance.
Why is PPF called an EEE (Exempt-Exempt-Exempt) investment?
PPF enjoys Exempt-Exempt-Exempt tax status in India: your contribution qualifies for a Section 80C deduction (up to ₹1.5 lakh), the interest earned is tax-free, and the maturity amount is also fully tax-free.
How often does the PPF interest rate change?
The Government of India reviews and announces the PPF interest rate every quarter. It has remained at 7.1% p.a. for several consecutive quarters. This calculator uses a fixed rate for the full tenure as an estimate — actual returns will reflect quarterly rate changes.
Is PPF better than FD or SIP?
PPF offers guaranteed, government-backed, tax-free returns — ideal for risk-free long-term goals like retirement. Fixed Deposits offer similar safety but interest is taxable. SIPs (mutual funds) carry market risk but have historically offered higher long-term returns. Most financial plans use a mix of all three.
What formula does this calculator use for PPF maturity?
It uses the annuity-due compounding formula, M = P × [((1+r)ⁿ − 1) ÷ r] × (1+r), which assumes each year's deposit is made at the start of the financial year — the convention that maximizes interest and matches how the government credits PPF interest.
Why does the calculator assume deposits at the start of the year?
PPF interest is calculated monthly on the lowest balance between the 5th and last day of each month, so depositing early in the financial year (ideally before April 5th) earns interest for the entire year. The calculator's annuity-due formula reflects this best-case, front-loaded deposit pattern.
What tenure options are available beyond the standard 15 years?
You can select 20, 25, 30, 35, or 40 years, representing one to five 5-year extension blocks after the mandatory 15-year lock-in, letting you project long-term growth if you continue contributing after maturity.
Can I take a loan or make partial withdrawals against my PPF balance?
Yes, though this calculator doesn't model them directly. A loan against your PPF balance is available between the 3rd and 6th year, and partial withdrawals are allowed from the 7th financial year onward, subject to limits.
What does the year-wise balance table show?
For each year it shows the opening balance, that year's deposit, the interest credited on the balance, and the resulting closing balance — letting you trace exactly how compounding builds your maturity value year by year.
Can I model a different interest rate for future projections?
Yes. The Annual Interest Rate field defaults to the current government-notified 7.1% p.a. but can be changed to any value between 1% and 12%, useful for testing how a future rate change would affect your maturity value.
Can NRIs open or continue a PPF account?
NRIs cannot open a new PPF account. However, a resident Indian who opened a PPF account and subsequently became an NRI may continue contributing and earning interest until the original 15-year maturity, subject to rules notified by the government from time to time. Always confirm current NRI eligibility with your bank or post office before relying on this.
What's the difference between PPF and EPF?
PPF is a voluntary scheme open to any resident individual, funded entirely by your own contributions, with a 15-year lock-in. EPF is mandatory for most salaried employees, funded jointly by employee and employer contributions, and is tied to employment rather than a fixed term. Both are EEE tax-advantaged and government-backed, but EPF also includes an employer match that PPF does not. Compare the two using NeftCal's EPF Calculator.
Learn More

Authoritative Resources on PPF

Official guidance to complement this calculator — not a substitute for licensed financial advice

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