If I'd invested in gold since 1991
$1,000 put into gold at the end of 1991 would be worth about $11,897 today — a 11.9× return, or roughly 7.5% a year. Change the amount below to run your own number.
You'd have
$11,897
from $1,000 invested — up 1090%.
The story behind the number
Gold since 1991 has been a remarkably smooth ride. $1,000 put in at the end of 1991 grew to $11,897 — a 11.9× return, or about 7.5% a year.
The ride mattered as much as the destination. The strongest single year was 1999, up 20%; the worst was 2008, down 17%.
Holding on took nerve: the position fell as much as 42% from its 2011 peak to its 2015 low, before climbing back above that high by 2016.
Common questions
- How much would I have if I'd invested $1,000 in gold in 1991?
- $1,000 invested in gold at the end of 1991 would be worth about $11,897 today — a 11.9× return, or roughly 7.5% per year.
- What were the best and worst years for gold since 1991?
- The best year was 1999, up about 20%. The toughest was 2008, when it fell about 17%. Across the window, 203 of 414 years finished lower than they started.
- What was the biggest drop along the way?
- The steepest decline was about 42%, from a peak in 2011 to a low in 2015, with the value recovering above its prior high by 2016.
The chart above shows the whole journey, not just the destination. Try switching to a bit each year to see how spreading your buying would have changed the outcome — or skip the latte to find out what a small daily habit could have grown into instead.
More gold scenarios
All gold years →If I'd invested in gold since 1971
since 1971
If I'd invested in gold since 1989
since 1989
If I'd invested in gold since 1992
since 1992
If I'd invested in gold since 2007
since 2007
If I'd invested in gold since 2025
since 2025