Plan your PPF contributions
Explore how contribution timing affects your long-term balance.
Year by year (financial years)
| Year | Put in | Interest | Balance |
|---|
How we calculate this
Each month earns interest on the lowest balance between the 5th and the month end. So money in by the 5th earns that month; money in from the 6th starts next month. Monthly interest = that balance × rate ÷ 12, added up and credited on 31 March. Maturity: 15 years after the end of the financial year you open in.
Calculation version 0.3 · Rate 7.1% confirmed up to 31 Dec 2026 (Ministry of Finance (DEA) office memorandum of 30 Sep 2026, in India Post SB Order 12/2026, checked 7 Oct 2026); after that, the rate you assume. We round each yearly credit to the nearest rupee (the scheme text doesn't say). Loans, withdrawals, extensions and existing accounts aren't covered.
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How to read your PPF projection
PPF (Public Provident Fund) is a long-term government savings scheme. This tool projects a new PPF account: when it matures and what the balance could be. It also shows how much the day you pay in can change the result.
What the numbers mean
Matures is the date after which you may close the account. It depends on the financial year (FY, 1 April to 31 March) in which you open it, not on the exact opening day.
You put in is the sum of all your deposits. Projected balance is that sum plus the interest credited every year, with the interest shown underneath. If part of the period falls after 31 Dec 2026, the note says the result includes your assumed rate.
The table shows each financial year: what you put in, the interest credited on 31 March and the balance after it. When your deposit day is after the 5th, a box shows roughly how much more you would have by paying by the 5th.
How the official rules work
The PPF Scheme, 2019 sets these rules:
- You can put in ₹500 to ₹1,50,000 each financial year, in multiples of ₹50, in one go or in parts. The ₹1,50,000 limit also counts deposits you make into a child’s PPF account that you run as guardian.
- Interest for a month is paid on the lowest balance between the close of the 5th and the end of that month. Money in by the 5th earns that month; money paid on the 6th or later starts earning next month.
- Interest is added up month by month and credited once a year, at the end of the financial year.
- The account can be closed after 15 years from the end of the year in which you opened it. An account opened on 31 Mar 2027 matures after 31 Mar 2042, but one opened on 1 Apr 2027 matures a year later.
The PPF rate is 7.1% a year for 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2026, the same as since 1 Apr 2020. The government reviews it every quarter. After 31 Dec 2026 the tool uses the rate you type in, which is your own assumption.
Sources: Public Provident Fund Scheme, 2019 (NSI); Ministry of Finance (DEA) office memorandum of 30 Sep 2026, in India Post SB Order 12/2026 (PDF). Checked 7 Oct 2026.
Worked example
A fictional account opened on 7 Oct 2026 with ₹1,50,000. After that, ₹1,50,000 goes in on 1 April each year, and the rate after 2026 is assumed to stay at 7.1%.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Matures | 31 Mar 2042 |
| Deposits | 16, so ₹24,00,000 in total |
| Projected balance | ₹45,00,323 |
| Interest | ₹21,00,316 |
The first deposit lands on the 7th, so October earns nothing and interest starts in November. Paying on any day from the 1st to the 5th of April gives the same result. Pay on 6 April every year instead, and the balance drops to ₹44,77,848. One day later each year costs ₹22,475.
Monthly payers see the same effect. ₹12,500 on the 5th of each month (₹23,25,000 in total) projects to ₹41,58,587. On the 6th, it’s ₹23,515 less.
What this tool doesn’t do
It covers a new account only. It can’t start from an old balance. Loans, part withdrawals, early closure and the 5-year extensions after maturity aren’t modelled. It doesn’t work out tax. The scheme text doesn’t say how the yearly credit is rounded, so we round it to the nearest rupee and list that as an assumption.
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Frequently asked questions
When can I close my PPF account?
You can close it after 15 years from the end of the financial year (FY, April to March) in which you opened it. So an account opened on 7 Oct 2026 can be closed after 31 Mar 2042. Opening on 31 Mar 2027 also gives 31 Mar 2042, but opening a day later, on 1 Apr 2027, gives 31 Mar 2043. The calculator shows this date as "Matures".
What happens if I deposit in PPF after the 5th of the month?
That money earns nothing for that month. PPF interest is paid on the lowest balance between the close of the 5th and the month end. In our fictional example, ₹1,50,000 each 1 April grows to ₹45,00,323. Paying on 6 April every year gives ₹44,77,848, which is ₹22,475 less. Any day from the 1st to the 5th gives the same result.
Can I put more than ₹1.5 lakh a year into PPF?
No. The limit is ₹1,50,000 per financial year, with at least ₹500, in multiples of ₹50. It counts everything you put in that year, in one go or in parts. It also includes deposits you make into a child's PPF account that you run as guardian. The calculator blocks a plan that adds up to more, for example ₹13,000 every month.
What is the PPF interest rate, and will it stay the same?
The rate is 7.1% a year for 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2026, and it has been 7.1% since 1 Apr 2020. The government reviews it every quarter, so it may change. For any period after 31 Dec 2026, the calculator uses the rate you type in. That rate is your own assumption, not an official rate.
Is it better to pay PPF once a year or every month?
Paying the full amount early in the year earns more, because the whole sum earns interest for more months. In our examples, ₹1,50,000 each 1 April projects to ₹45,00,323. ₹12,500 on the 5th of every month projects to ₹41,58,587. If monthly suits your income, pay by the 5th: on the 6th, the same plan gives ₹23,515 less.