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Drawdown recovery table: what it takes to get back
A loss and its recovery are not measured against the same balance. Down 10%, you need 11.1% to break even. Down 50%, you need 100%. Down 90%, you need 900%. This is the complete table, the formula, and the points where the maths stops being survivable.
The formula
required gain % = L / (100 − L) × 100
Where L is the drawdown as a percentage of the peak balance. The asymmetry exists because the gain compounds on the reduced balance, not on the original one.
Calculate your own
Gain required to break even
33.33%
That is roughly 34 net winning trades of 1% each, before costs and before any further losing trades.
The full table
Every drawdown level from 1% to 99% and the gain required to return to the previous peak.
| Drawdown | Gain required to break even | $10,000 falls to |
|---|---|---|
| 1% | 1.01% | $9,900 |
| 2% | 2.04% | $9,800 |
| 3% | 3.09% | $9,700 |
| 4% | 4.17% | $9,600 |
| 5% | 5.26% | $9,500 |
| 6% | 6.38% | $9,400 |
| 7% | 7.53% | $9,300 |
| 8% | 8.70% | $9,200 |
| 9% | 9.89% | $9,100 |
| 10% | 11.11% | $9,000 |
| 12% | 13.64% | $8,800 |
| 15% | 17.65% | $8,500 |
| 17.5% | 21.21% | $8,250 |
| 20% | 25% | $8,000 |
| 22.5% | 29.03% | $7,750 |
| 25% | 33.33% | $7,500 |
| 27.5% | 37.93% | $7,250 |
| 30% | 42.86% | $7,000 |
| 33% | 49.25% | $6,700 |
| 35% | 53.85% | $6,500 |
| 40% | 66.67% | $6,000 |
| 45% | 81.82% | $5,500 |
| 50% | 100.0% | $5,000 |
| 55% | 122.2% | $4,500 |
| 60% | 150.0% | $4,000 |
| 65% | 185.7% | $3,500 |
| 70% | 233.3% | $3,000 |
| 75% | 300.0% | $2,500 |
| 80% | 400.0% | $2,000 |
| 85% | 566.7% | $1,500 |
| 90% | 900.0% | $1,000 |
| 95% | 1900% | $500 |
| 99% | 9900% | $100 |
The three break points
Under 20%
Recoverable
Required gains stay within a few points of the loss itself. A normal run of trades repairs it without changing anything about how you size.
20% – 40%
Expensive
The required gain starts to outrun the loss — 25% needs 33%, 40% needs 67%. Recovery now takes longer than the drawdown took to create, which is where traders start sizing up to speed it along.
Above 50%
Structural
Doubling the remaining balance is the minimum. At this point the account is no longer recovering from a drawdown; it is starting again with less capital and a damaged process.
The practical conclusion is unglamorous: the table is an argument for position sizing, not for recovery tactics. Work out the risk per trade that keeps your worst plausible losing streak inside the first band using the risk of ruin calculator, then size every trade from your stop with the position size calculator.
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SimpleAlgo. (2026). Drawdown Recovery Table. Retrieved from https://simplealgo.io/drawdown-recovery-table
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The cheapest recovery is the drawdown you never take
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Frequently asked questions
- Why does a 50% loss need a 100% gain to recover?
- Because the gain is calculated on a smaller balance. A $10,000 account down 50% is $5,000, and getting $5,000 back to $10,000 means doubling it. The percentage you lost and the percentage you need are measured against different starting points, which is why the gap widens as losses deepen.
- What is the formula for drawdown recovery?
- Required gain = L / (100 − L), expressed as a percentage, where L is the percentage drawdown. A 20% drawdown needs 20 / 80 = 25%. A 60% drawdown needs 60 / 40 = 150%.
- At what drawdown does recovery become unrealistic?
- Arithmetically nothing is impossible, but the curve turns sharply beyond about 30%. Under 20%, required gains stay close to the loss itself. Past 50% the required gain exceeds 100%, and past 75% it exceeds 300% — which is why risk limits are usually set long before those levels.
- Does this account for fees or compounding?
- No. It is pure arithmetic on account equity. Trading costs make real recovery harder than the table shows, never easier.
- Can I reuse this table?
- Yes. Quote it, screenshot it, embed it or teach from it freely, including commercially, as long as you credit SimpleAlgo with a working link.
Keep the drawdown small in the first place
Calculators and definitions for sizing, ruin risk and recovery.
Educational reference only. Nothing here is financial advice, and trading carries a substantial risk of loss. SimpleAlgo is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by TradingView. TradingView is a trademark of TradingView, Inc.