Gold Returns since 2016

Gold investment returns since 2016

If you invested $100 in gold at the beginning of January 2016, you would have about $375.19 by August 2026. This is a return on investment of 275.19%, or 13.31% per year.

This investment beats inflation during this period for an inflation-adjusted return of about 165.36% cumulatively, or 9.66% per year.

Contents

Overview
Adjusting for inflation
Full monthly data
Gold vs S&P 500
Data source & citation

The graph below shows the performance of $100 invested in gold over time.

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Adjusting gold return for inflation

The nominal return on investment of $100 is $275.19, or 275.19%. This means by August 2026 you would have $375.19 worth of gold.

However, it's important to take into account the effect of inflation when considering an investment. Gold is often considered a hedge against inflation, so let's see how it actually performed.

The CPI in January 2016 was 236.916 and the CPI in August 2026 was 334.980.

Adjusted for inflation, the $375.19 nominal end value would have a real return of roughly $165.36 in 2016 dollars. This means the inflation-adjusted return is 165.36% as opposed to the original 275.19%.

For more information on inflation, see our U.S. inflation calculator for 2016.

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Full monthly data

The table below shows the full dataset pertaining to a $100 gold investment over the 128-month period between 2016 and 2026.

Year	Month	Gold Price ($)	Return (%)	Amount ($)
2016	1	1,075.10	0.00%	100.00
2016	2	1,127.90	4.91%	104.91
2016	3	1,230.30	14.44%	114.44
2016	4	1,222.20	13.68%	113.68
2016	5	1,294.70	20.43%	120.43
2016	6	1,211.90	12.72%	112.72
2016	7	1,336.70	24.33%	124.33
2016	8	1,351.40	25.70%	125.70
2016	9	1,312.20	22.05%	122.05
2016	10	1,309.00	21.76%	121.76
2016	11	1,286.40	19.65%	119.65
2016	12	1,166.90	8.54%	108.54
2017	1	1,160.40	7.93%	107.93
2017	2	1,205.60	12.14%	112.14
2017	3	1,248.90	16.17%	116.17
2017	4	1,250.80	16.34%	116.34
2017	5	1,253.30	16.58%	116.58
2017	6	1,267.00	17.85%	117.85
2017	7	1,217.90	13.28%	113.28
2017	8	1,272.60	18.37%	118.37
2017	9	1,324.50	23.20%	123.20
2017	10	1,272.70	18.38%	118.38
2017	11	1,274.10	18.51%	118.51
2017	12	1,278.80	18.95%	118.95
2018	1	1,313.70	22.19%	122.19
2018	2	1,344.30	25.04%	125.04
2018	3	1,302.90	21.19%	121.19
2018	4	1,342.10	24.83%	124.83
2018	5	1,303.80	21.27%	121.27
2018	6	1,294.80	20.44%	120.44
2018	7	1,239.80	15.32%	115.32
2018	8	1,217.90	13.28%	113.28
2018	9	1,192.70	10.94%	110.94
2018	10	1,187.10	10.42%	110.42
2018	11	1,236.00	14.97%	114.97
2018	12	1,233.90	14.77%	114.77
2019	1	1,281.00	19.15%	119.15
2019	2	1,316.90	22.49%	122.49
2019	3	1,296.40	20.58%	120.58
2019	4	1,288.40	19.84%	119.84
2019	5	1,281.40	19.19%	119.19
2019	6	1,322.70	23.03%	123.03
2019	7	1,385.60	28.88%	128.88
2019	8	1,420.90	32.16%	132.16
2019	9	1,545.90	43.79%	143.79
2019	10	1,482.00	37.85%	137.85
2019	11	1,508.00	40.27%	140.27
2019	12	1,462.30	36.02%	136.02
2020	1	1,524.50	41.80%	141.80
2020	2	1,577.20	46.70%	146.70
2020	3	1,592.30	48.11%	148.11
2020	4	1,578.20	46.80%	146.80
2020	5	1,694.50	57.61%	157.61
2020	6	1,737.80	61.64%	161.64
2020	7	1,773.20	64.93%	164.93
2020	8	1,966.00	82.87%	182.87
2020	9	1,968.20	83.07%	183.07
2020	10	1,908.40	77.51%	177.51
2020	11	1,890.40	75.83%	175.83
2020	12	1,814.10	68.74%	168.74
2021	1	1,944.70	80.89%	180.89
2021	2	1,860.80	73.08%	173.08
2021	3	1,722.50	60.22%	160.22
2021	4	1,726.50	60.59%	160.59
2021	5	1,791.40	66.63%	166.63
2021	6	1,902.90	77.00%	177.00
2021	7	1,775.90	65.18%	165.18
2021	8	1,818.10	69.11%	169.11
2021	9	1,813.10	68.64%	168.64
2021	10	1,757.00	63.43%	163.43
2021	11	1,795.10	66.97%	166.97
2021	12	1,781.60	65.71%	165.71
2022	1	1,799.40	67.37%	167.37
2022	2	1,800.30	67.45%	167.45
2022	3	1,942.40	80.67%	180.67
2022	4	1,919.10	78.50%	178.50
2022	5	1,861.80	73.17%	173.17
2022	6	1,843.30	71.45%	171.45
2022	7	1,798.90	67.32%	167.32
2022	8	1,769.00	64.54%	164.54
2022	9	1,696.60	57.81%	157.81
2022	10	1,692.90	57.46%	157.46
2022	11	1,645.00	53.01%	153.01
2022	12	1,801.10	67.53%	167.53
2023	1	1,839.70	71.12%	171.12
2023	2	1,927.80	79.31%	179.31
2023	3	1,837.70	70.93%	170.93
2023	4	1,983.90	84.53%	184.53
2023	5	1,983.40	84.49%	184.49
2023	6	1,978.00	83.98%	183.98
2023	7	1,921.70	78.75%	178.75
2023	8	1,940.70	80.51%	180.51
2023	9	1,939.80	80.43%	180.43
2023	10	1,830.00	70.22%	170.22
2023	11	1,978.80	84.06%	184.06
2023	12	2,071.00	92.63%	192.63
2024	1	2,064.40	92.02%	192.02
2024	2	2,053.00	90.96%	190.96
2024	3	2,086.90	94.11%	194.11
2024	4	2,236.50	108.03%	208.03
2024	5	2,299.90	113.92%	213.92
2024	6	2,346.60	118.27%	218.27
2024	7	2,327.60	116.50%	216.50
2024	8	2,435.00	126.49%	226.49
2024	9	2,489.90	131.60%	231.60
2024	10	2,667.30	148.10%	248.10
2024	11	2,738.60	154.73%	254.73
2024	12	2,634.90	145.08%	245.08
2025	1	2,658.90	147.32%	247.32
2025	2	2,833.90	163.59%	263.59
2025	3	2,890.20	168.83%	268.83
2025	4	3,118.90	190.10%	290.10
2025	5	3,210.00	198.58%	298.58
2025	6	3,370.60	213.52%	313.52
2025	7	3,336.70	210.36%	310.36
2025	8	3,347.70	211.38%	311.38
2025	9	3,549.40	230.15%	330.15
2025	10	3,867.50	259.73%	359.73
2025	11	4,000.30	272.09%	372.09
2025	12	4,239.30	294.32%	394.32
2026	1	4,314.40	301.30%	401.30
2026	2	4,622.50	329.96%	429.96
2026	3	5,294.40	392.46%	492.46
2026	4	4,783.20	344.91%	444.91
2026	5	4,629.90	330.65%	430.65
2026	6	4,475.20	316.26%	416.26
2026	7	4,068.30	278.41%	378.41
2026	8	4,033.70	275.19%	375.19

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Gold vs S&P 500

Wondering how gold compares to the stock market? Use our S&P 500 calculator to compare returns over the same period.

Data Sources

Gold prices since August 2000 are CME Group gold futures (GC) via Yahoo Finance. Earlier prices are World Bank monthly averages from 1960, and the official U.S. price of gold before that. Inflation data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly CPI logs.

in2013dollars.com is a reference website maintained by the Official Data Foundation.

About the author

Ian Webster is an engineer and data expert based in San Mateo, California. He has worked for Google, NASA, and consulted for governments around the world on data pipelines and data analysis. Disappointed by the lack of clear resources on the impacts of inflation on economic indicators, Ian believes this website serves as a valuable public tool. Ian earned his degree in Computer Science from Dartmouth College.

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Gold from 2016 to 2026
Start Price January 2016	$1,075.10
End Price August 2026	$4,033.70
Nominal return	+275.19% +13.31% / yr
Inflation-adjusted return	+165.36% +9.66% / yr
Final amount, nominal ($100 base)	$375.19
Final amount, inflation-adjusted ($100 base)	$265.36