PPF Calculator
Enter what you will put into your Public Provident Fund each financial year to see the balance on maturity, the tax-free interest, and what extending the account in 5-year blocks would add.
Year-by-year balance
Interest is worked out on the lowest balance between the 5th and the end of each month and credited on 31 March, as the PPF rules require. The rate is held steady for the whole period; the real rate may change every quarter. Everything is calculated in your browser.
A PPF account opened at any time in 2026-27 matures on 1 April 2042. The rule is 15 complete financial years, counted from the end of the year in which you open it, so the first part-year is extra. During those years you must put in at least ₹500 and at most ₹1,50,000 each financial year, and the balance earns a rate the Ministry of Finance sets every quarter. As of November 2026 that rate is 7.1% a year for 1 October to 31 December 2026, unchanged from the previous quarter. The calculator models 15 full years of deposits, which is the usual way to illustrate PPF; the opening part-year usually allows one more deposit on top.
Fifteen years of ₹1.5 lakh at 7.1%
Each month's interest is calculated on the lowest balance between the 5th and the last day of the month. The twelve amounts are added up and credited on 31 March, so PPF compounds once a year. With the full ₹1.5 lakh paid in by 5 April every year:
| End of year | Deposited so far | Interest that year | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ₹1,50,000 | ₹10,650 | ₹1,60,650 |
| 2 | ₹3,00,000 | ₹22,056 | ₹3,32,706 |
| 5 | ₹7,50,000 | ₹61,368 | ₹9,25,701 |
| 10 | ₹15,00,000 | ₹1,47,842 | ₹22,30,124 |
| 15 | ₹22,50,000 | ₹2,69,695 | ₹40,68,209 |
The first year's interest is simple to check: ₹1,50,000 × 7.1% = ₹10,650. By year 11 the interest credited in a single year (about ₹1,68,989) is more than that year's deposit. After 15 years you have put in ₹22,50,000 and the account holds about ₹40,68,209, so about ₹18,18,209 is interest. None of it is taxed.
Paying by 5 April versus every month
Money that reaches the account on the 6th misses that month's interest, because the month's lowest balance was struck before it arrived. A ₹1.5 lakh deposit made by 5 April earns ₹10,650 in its first year. The same amount paid as ₹12,500 by the 5th of each month earns about ₹5,769, since the early instalments are in for longer than the late ones. Over 15 years the monthly route ends at about ₹39,44,599 against ₹40,68,209, a gap of about ₹1,23,610. If April is tight, monthly payments made by the 5th are the next best option. Payments made after the 5th cost you a month each time.
After 15 years
The account does not close on its own. Within one year of maturity you can apply at your bank or post office to extend it for 5 years with deposits, and you can do this again for further 5-year blocks. You can also keep the account open without deposits: the balance keeps earning the PPF rate and you can take money out once a year. Or you can close it and take the whole amount.
| What you do at 15 years (₹1.5 lakh a year, 7.1%) | After 20 years | After 25 years |
|---|---|---|
| Extend and keep depositing ₹1.5 lakh | ₹66,58,288 | ₹1,03,08,015 |
| Keep the account, no new deposits | ₹57,32,587 | ₹80,77,891 |
Even without new money, the ₹40.7 lakh balance earns about ₹2,88,843 in the first year after maturity. With deposits continued, your total paid in reaches ₹30 lakh by year 20 and ₹37.5 lakh by year 25.
Smaller deposits
At 7.1%, paid by 5 April each year, deposits continued through any extension:
| Yearly deposit | 15 years | 20 years | 25 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹12,000 (₹1,000 a month) | ₹3,25,457 | ₹5,32,663 | ₹8,24,641 |
| ₹25,000 | ₹6,78,035 | ₹11,09,715 | ₹17,18,002 |
| ₹50,000 | ₹13,56,070 | ₹22,19,429 | ₹34,36,005 |
| ₹1,00,000 | ₹27,12,139 | ₹44,38,859 | ₹68,72,010 |
The rate will move over 15 years. For ₹1.5 lakh a year, an average of 6.5% gives about ₹38,63,102 and 8% gives about ₹43,98,642.
Tax, and the ₹500 minimum
PPF interest and the maturity amount are tax-free. If you file under the old tax regime, deposits can also be deducted from taxable income within the ₹1.5 lakh limit of section 123 of the Income-tax Act, 2025 (the old section 80C). The new regime, which is the default, does not allow that deduction.
Missing the ₹500 minimum in any year makes the account "discontinued". You can revive it by paying a small penalty plus the missed minimums, but a discontinued account cannot be extended, so a standing instruction for the first days of April is worth setting up. For money you might need before 15 years, keep a separate FD. FD vs RD vs SIP compares the other common ways Indians save, and the inflation calculator shows what a 2042 maturity value might buy in present-day rupees.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 7.1% rate fixed for the full 15 years?
No. The Ministry of Finance sets the PPF rate every quarter, and each new rate applies to your whole balance, old deposits included. That is different from an FD, where the rate is locked on the day you open it. Use the rate box to test a lower or higher average.
Can I put in more than ₹1.5 lakh in a year?
No. ₹1,50,000 is the limit per financial year, and it includes anything you deposit as guardian in a minor child's PPF account. An excess earns no interest and gets no tax deduction.
Can I take money out before 15 years?
Partly. Loans against the balance and, later, one partial withdrawal a year are allowed once the account has run for a few years, within limits linked to your past balances. Closing the account early is allowed only for specific reasons, such as a life-threatening illness, higher education or a change in residency status. Your bank or post office will tell you the limits for your account.