What percentage gain do I need to recover from a drawdown in my trading account?

Calculates the percentage gain and dollar amount needed to recover a trading account back to break-even after a drawdown, based on either a percentage loss or account balances before and after the loss.

How is this calculated?

Recovery percentage needed equals the drawdown divided by (1 minus the drawdown). A 20% loss needs a 25% gain to break even, not another 20%. Losses and gains are not symmetric. The deeper the drawdown, the faster the required recovery percentage grows. Dollar figures assume no additional deposits or withdrawals happen between now and break-even. This calculates the percentage and dollar gain required to get back to your starting balance. It does not estimate how long that recovery would take.

What Gain Recovers My Drawdown?

Enter Your Numbers

Your Result

Fill in the fields on the left and click Calculate to see the gain required to get your account back to break-even.

Visualizing It

How this is calculated

Recovery percentage needed equals the drawdown divided by (1 minus the drawdown). A 20% loss needs a 25% gain to break even, not another 20%.
Losses and gains are not symmetric. The deeper the drawdown, the faster the required recovery percentage grows.
Dollar figures assume no additional deposits or withdrawals happen between now and break-even.
This calculates the percentage and dollar gain required to get back to your starting balance. It does not estimate how long that recovery would take.

Risk & liability disclaimer: This calculator produces a mathematical estimate based on the numbers you enter. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any trading outcome. Recovering a drawdown depends on future market performance and trading results, neither of which can be predicted. Position sizing and risk per trade are what keep a drawdown small enough to recover from in the first place. Trading Habits is not a broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, or tax professional, and is not affiliated with any broker, exchange, or data provider. We do not guarantee this tool is error-free or suitable for your situation. Always verify results independently and consult a licensed professional before making any trading or financial decision. You could lose some or all of the capital you trade with.

Common drawdowns and the recovery they require

Same math as the calculator above, run against round-number drawdowns for quick reference.

Drawdown	Gain needed to break even
5%	5.3%
10%	11.1%
15%	17.6%
20%	25.0%
25%	33.3%
30%	42.9%
40%	66.7%
50%	100.0%
60%	150.0%
75%	300.0%
90%	900.0%

What percentage gain do I need to recover from a drawdown in my trading account?

Enter Your Numbers

Your Result

How this is calculated

Common drawdowns and the recovery they require

More Trading Tools