Some of the fastest growing economies are the most ignored by investors. Part of a global portfolio takes advantage of emerging markets which offer more robust growth than its developed counterparts. But is it worth the risk?
The chart below breaks down the annual performance of emerging market countries. Try picking the best performing country each year and your chance of success is slim. Over the long term those returns even out. A global portfolio benefits from emerging markets performance while diversifying risk.
The table below ranks the best to worst emerging markets performance over the past 15 years. Hover over the table to highlight each country’s market returns over that period.
Emerging Markets Returns
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THA 56.3% | QAT 8.2% | TUR 64.9% | ARE 90.0% | EGY 29.4% | HUN 36.3% | BRA 66.8% | POL 55.3% | QAT 29.8% | GRC 43.6% | KOR 45.2% | CZE 58.1% | TUR 91.2% | HUN 50.9% | TWN 35.1% | COL 82.2% | |
| PER 53.4% | IDN 6.5% | PHL 47.6% | GRC 52.7% | IDN 27.2% | IND -6.1% | PER 55.6% | CHN 54.3% | SAU 19.2% | EGY 42.1% | TWN 42.0% | ARE 50.2% | CHL 22.6% | GRC 49.7% | MYS 20.8% | GRC 79.8% | |
| KWT 45.4% | MYS 0.1% | EGY 47.1% | SAU 32.2% | PHL 26.4% | PHL -6.3% | HUN 35.4% | KOR 47.8% | KWT 15.4% | SAU 39.3% | CHN 29.7% | SAU 37.9% | BRA 14.6% | POL 49.5% | CHN 19.7% | CZE 63.0% | |
| CHL 44.8% | PHL 0.1% | POL 41.0% | QAT 30.0% | IND 23.9% | KOR -6.3% | THA 27.0% | CHL 43.6% | PER 1.6% | TWN 37.7% | EM 18.7% | KWT 30.9% | KWT 10.1% | EGY 41.8% | ARE 19.6% | KOR 57.6% | |
| COL 43.4% | SAU -2.4% | COL 35.9% | TWN 9.8% | TUR 19.1% | CHN -7.6% | COL 26.5% | HUN 40.0% | BRA -0.2% | KWT 35.8% | IND 15.9% | TWN 26.8% | PER 9.4% | MEX 41.5% | TUR 18.2% | ZAF 56.5% | |
| MYS 37.0% | THA -2.4% | THA 34.9% | EGY 8.2% | THA 16.8% | TWN -11.0% | TWN 19.6% | TUR 39.1% | CZE -2.2% | COL 31.2% | MYS 3.7% | IND 26.7% | THA 5.3% | CZE 39.1% | PER 15.8% | PER 54.0% | |
| PHL 35.5% | COL -5.0% | MEX 29.1% | MYS 7.7% | QAT 16.6% | SAU -12.7% | ZAF 18.4% | CZE 38.9% | THA -5.3% | BRA 26.7% | SAU 0.9% | MEX 22.9% | IDN 4.2% | PER 36.6% | HUN 14.0% | POL 53.7% | |
| IDN 34.6% | CZE -5.0% | ARE 27.4% | KWT 5.6% | ARE 13.7% | MEX -14.2% | IDN 17.5% | IND 38.8% | MYS -6.0% | CHN 23.7% | ARE -0.9% | QAT 15.2% | GRC 0.4% | BRA 33.4% | IND 12.4% | HUN 51.1% | |
| ZAF 34.2% | KOR -11.8% | IND 26.0% | KOR 4.2% | PER 10.5% | EM -14.6% | CHL 16.8% | PER 38.4% | HUN -6.1% | HUN 19.4% | MEX -1.6% | HUN 12.1% | MEX -1.6% | TWN 31.3% | KWT 10.5% | MEX 48.7% | |
| QAT 31.3% | MEX -12.1% | CHN 23.1% | CHN 4.0% | TWN 10.1% | KWT -16.2% | ARE 13.6% | EM 37.8% | IND -7.3% | EM 18.9% | QAT -2.4% | POL 9.0% | EM -2.2% | KOR 23.6% | COL 9.8% | CHN 41.9% | |
| MEX 27.6% | ZAF -14.4% | HUN 22.8% | POL 3.6% | CHN 8.3% | CZE -16.6% | EM 11.6% | ZAF 36.8% | ARE -7.7% | KOR 13.1% | CZE -2.8% | GRC 8.2% | ZAF -3.0% | IND 21.3% | GRC 9.2% | BRA 40.4% | |
| KOR 27.2% | KWT -17.0% | KOR 21.5% | MEX 0.2% | ZAF 5.7% | CHL -16.9% | SAU 10.3% | THA 34.9% | TWN -8.2% | MEX 11.8% | PHL -2.9% | EGY 7.6% | SAU -5.0% | COL 15.0% | EM 8.1% | CHL 38.3% | |
| TWN 22.7% | ARE -17.6% | PER 20.2% | PHL -2.0% | EM -1.8% | ARE -17.9% | KOR 9.3% | GRC 29.1% | IDN -8.7% | TUR 11.7% | ZAF -3.5% | ZAF 4.3% | COL -5.0% | SAU 10.9% | ZAF 7.4% | EGY 37.8% | |
| TUR 21.2% | EM -18.2% | ZAF 19.0% | EM -2.3% | CZE -2.4% | IDN -19.1% | QAT 6.3% | TWN 28.5% | COL -11.4% | PHL 11.0% | CHL -4.1% | IDN 2.6% | MYS -5.8% | EM 10.3% | CZE 6.9% | EM 28.2% | |
| IND 21.0% | CHN -18.2% | EM 18.6% | IND -3.8% | SAU -2.7% | QAT -19.5% | KWT 3.7% | PHL 25.2% | POL -12.5% | ZAF 10.7% | PER -4.7% | THA -1.1% | ARE -6.2% | IDN 8.4% | QAT 6.1% | TWN 26.6% | |
| EM 19.2% | CHL -20.0% | TWN 17.7% | ZAF -5.8% | KWT -3.9% | MYS -20.1% | CHN 1.1% | MYS 25.1% | EGY -13.7% | THA 9.8% | IDN -7.5% | EM -2.2% | QAT -6.9% | CHL 6.4% | THA 1.6% | KWT 24.3% | |
| POL 15.9% | TWN -20.2% | MYS 14.3% | HUN -5.8% | MEX -9.2% | THA -23.3% | POL 0.7% | IDN 24.8% | EM -14.3% | IDN 9.7% | TUR -8.6% | PHL -3.5% | IND -7.5% | PHL 4.3% | SAU 0.8% | ARE 23.0% | |
| SAU 15.5% | PER -21.4% | SAU 10.8% | CZE -8.1% | MYS -10.7% | EGY -23.5% | IND -1.4% | BRA 24.5% | MEX -15.3% | IND 7.6% | KWT -10.0% | MYS -6.2% | CZE -12.2% | ZAF 2.3% | PHL 0.0% | QAT 9.6% | |
| EGY 12.4% | BRA -21.6% | CHL 8.3% | THA -14.3% | KOR -10.7% | POL -24.9% | CZE -2.5% | KWT 18.7% | PHL -16.1% | CZE 6.6% | POL -11.3% | KOR -7.9% | PHL -13.5% | QAT 1.6% | POL -5.7% | MYS 6.7% | |
| BRA 6.8% | POL -29.5% | GRC 5.7% | BRA -15.8% | CHL -12.2% | ZAF -25.1% | MYS -3.9% | COL 16.3% | CHN -18.8% | PER 4.8% | THA -11.4% | COL -13.7% | CHN -21.8% | ARE 0.6% | CHL -6.1% | SAU 2.9% | |
| CHN 4.8% | HUN -33.7% | IDN 5.2% | COL -21.1% | POL -13.6% | TUR -31.6% | PHL -6.1% | MEX 16.3% | CHL -18.9% | ARE 4.0% | HUN -11.7% | CHL -15.1% | EGY -22.5% | MYS -3.5% | IDN -11.9% | THA 2.2% | |
| CZE -1.7% | TUR -35.2% | CZE 3.5% | CHL -21.4% | BRA -13.7% | PER -31.7% | TUR -8.1% | SAU 7.6% | KOR -20.5% | QAT -1.0% | COL -18.5% | BRA -17.2% | POL -26.8% | TUR -5.3% | KOR -23.1% | TUR 1.6% | |
| ARE -1.9% | IND -37.2% | KWT 0.6% | IDN -23.1% | COL -19.8% | BRA -41.2% | MEX -9.0 | EGY 5.2% | ZAF -24.3% | MYS -2.0% | BRA -18.9% | PER -19.9% | KOR -28.9% | KWT -7.5% | MEX -26.8% | IND -0.5% | |
| HUN -9.6% | EGY -46.9% | BRA 0.3% | TUR -26.5% | HUN -27.4% | COL -41.8% | EGY -11.4% | ARE 2.9% | GRC -36.7% | POL -5.3% | EGY -22.2% | CHN -21.6% | TWN -29.1% | THA -10.3% | BRA -29.5% | PHL -2.9% | |
| GRC -44.7% | GRC -62.7% | QAT -2.1% | PER -29.8% | GRC -39.9% | GRC -61.3% | GRC -11.9% | QAT -11.5% | TUR -41.1% | CHL -16.0% | GRC -26.7% | TUR -27.8% | HUN -31.1% | CHN -11.0% | EGY -31.1% | IDN -6.2% |
| Abbr. | Country – Index | Annual | Best | Worst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EM | MSCI Emerging Markets Index | 4.76% | 37.8% | -18.2% |
| BRA | Brazil – MSCI Brazil Index | -2.51% | 66.8% | -41.2% |
| CHL | Chile – MSCI Chile Index | -1.32% | 44.8% | -21.4% |
| CHN | China – MSCI China Index | 2.53% | 54.3% | -21.8% |
| COL | Colombia – MSCI Colombia Index | -0.12% | 43.4% | -41.8% |
| CZE | Czech Republic – MSCI Czech Republic Index | 4.90% | 58.1% | -16.6% |
| EGY | Egypt – MSCI Egypt Index | -2.53% | 47.1% | -46.9% |
| GRC | Greece – MSCI Greece Index | -13.99% | 52.7% | -62.7% |
| HUN | Hungary – MSCI Hungary Index | 3.65% | 50.9% | -33.7% |
| IND | India – MSCI India Index | 6.85% | 38.8% | -37.2% |
| IDN | Indonesia – MSCI Indonesia Index | 3.42% | 34.6% | -23.1% |
| KWT | Kuwait – MSCI Kuwait Index | 6.69% | 45.4% | -17.0% |
| MYS | Malaysia – MSCI Malaysia Index | 2.38% | 37.0% | -20.1% |
| Abbr. | Country – Index | Annual | Best | Worst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEX | Mexico – MSCI Mexico Index | 2.24% | 41.5% | -26.8% |
| PER | Peru – MSCI Peru Index | 5.80% | 55.6% | -31.6% |
| PHL | Philippines – MSCI Philippines Index | 5.24% | 47.6% | -16.1% |
| POL | Poland – MSCI Poland Index | 0.00% | 55.3% | -29.5% |
| QAT | Qatar – MSCI Qatar Index | 5.75% | 31.3% | -19.5% |
| SAU | Saudi Arabia – MSCI Saudi Arabia Index | 9.84% | 39.4% | -12.7% |
| ZAF | South Africa – MSCI South Africa Index | 2.67% | 36.8% | -25.1% |
| KOR | South Korea – MSCI Korea Index | 3.00% | 47.8% | -28.9% |
| TWN | Taiwan – MSCI Taiwan Index | 11.98% | 42.0% | -29.1% |
| THA | Thailand – MSCI Thailand Index | 5.91% | 56.3% | -23.3% |
| TUR | Turkey – MSCI Turkey Index | -0.54% | 91.2% | -41.1% |
| ARE | United Arab Emirates – MSCI United Arab Emirates Index | 8.58% | 90.0% | -17.9% |
Past performance does not guarantee future returns. The historical performance is meant to show changes in market trends across the top emerging market countries in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index over the past fifteen years. Returns represent total annual returns (reinvestment of all distributions) in U.S. dollars and does not include fees and expenses. The investments you choose should reflect your financial goals and risk tolerance. For assistance, talk to a financial professional. All data are as of 9/30/25.
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