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 the 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
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COL 133.0% |
EGY 161.6% |
CHN 82.9% |
PER 94.7% |
COL -25.1% |
BRA 128.6% |
THA 56.3% |
IDN 6.5% |
TUR 64.9% |
GRC 52.7% |
EGY 29.4% |
HUN 36.3% |
BRA 66.8% |
POL 55.3% |
PER 1.6% |
| EGY 126.2% |
COL 107.5% |
IDN 74.8% |
BRA 80.0% |
CHL -35.4% |
IDN 127.7% |
PER 53.4% |
MYS 0.1% |
PHL 47.6% |
PAK 35.6% |
IDN 27.2% |
RUS 5.0% |
RUS 55.9% |
CHN 54.3% |
RUS 0.2% |
| HUN 92.5% |
RUS 73.8% |
PER 62.6% |
TUR 74.8% |
ZAF -37.9% |
RUS 104.9% |
CHL 44.8% |
PHL 0.1% |
EGY 47.1% |
TWN 9.8% |
PHL 26.4% |
IND -6.1% |
PER 55.6% |
KOR 47.8% |
BRA -0.2% |
| CZE 87.3% |
PAK 64.9% |
PHL 59.7% |
IND 73.1% |
PER -40.1% |
IND 102.8% |
COL 43.4% |
THA -2.4% |
POL 41.0% |
EGY 8.2% |
IND 23.9% |
PHL -6.3% |
PAK 41.6% |
CHL 43.6% |
CZE -2.2% |
| POL 61.5% |
KOR 58.0% |
RUS 55.9% |
CHN 66.2% |
MYS -41.2% |
TUR 98.5% |
MYS 37.0% |
COL -5.0% |
COL 35.9% |
MYS 7.7% |
TUR 19.1% |
KOR -6.3% |
HUN 35.4% |
HUN 40.0% |
THA -5.3% |
| IDN 52.2% |
BRA 57.1% |
IND 51.0% |
EGY 58.4% |
CZE -42.8% |
PAK 90.1% |
PHL 35.5% |
CZE -5.0% |
THA 34.9% |
KOR 4.2% |
THA 16.8% |
CHN -7.6% |
THA 27.0% |
TUR 39.1% |
MYS -6.0% |
| MEX 48.3% |
TUR 56.9% |
BRA 45.8% |
CZE 55.9% |
MEX -42.9% |
CHL 86.7% |
IDN 34.6% |
PAK -10.5% |
PAK 33.5% |
CHN 4.0% |
PAK 13.7% |
TWN -11.0% |
COL 26.5% |
CZE 38.9% |
HUN -6.1% |
| GRC 46.1% |
MEX 49.1% |
MEX 41.4% |
IDN 55.0% |
TWN -45.9% |
COL 84.4% |
ZAF 34.2% |
KOR -11.8% |
MEX 29.1% |
POL 3.6% |
PER 10.5% |
PAK -13.1% |
TWN 19.6% |
IND 38.8% |
IND -7.3% |
| ZAF 44.9% |
CZE 46.2% |
POL 40.2% |
THA 46.6% |
THA -48.3% |
TWN 80.3% |
MEX 27.6% |
MEX -12.1% |
IND 26.0% |
RUS 1.4% |
TWN 10.1% |
MEX -14.2% |
ZAF 18.4% |
PER 38.4% |
TWN -8.2% |
| TUR 42.0% |
IND 37.6% |
MYS 37.1% |
MYS 46.1% |
CHN -50.8% |
EM 79.0% |
KOR 27.2% |
ZAF -14.4% |
CHN 23.1% |
MEX 0.2% |
CHN 8.3% |
EM -14.6% |
IDN 17.5% |
EM 37.8% |
IDN -8.7% |
| BRA 36.5% |
PER 35.0% |
GRC 35.1% |
PHL 41.7% |
PHL -51.9% |
HUN 77.6% |
PAK 27.1% |
EM -18.2% |
HUN 22.8% |
PHL -2.0% |
ZAF 5.7% |
CZE -16.6% |
CHL 16.8% |
ZAF 36.8% |
COL -11.4% |
| CHL 29.0% |
EM 34.5% |
CZE 34.7% |
EM 39.8% |
EGY -52.4% |
THA 77.3% |
TWN 22.7% |
CHN -18.2% |
KOR 21.5% |
EM -2.3% |
EM -1.8% |
CHL -16.9% |
EM 11.6% |
THA 34.9% |
POL -12.5% |
| PHL 26.6% |
ZAF 28.3% |
HUN 33.7% |
PAK 38.4% |
EM -53.2% |
PER 72.1% |
TUR 21.2% |
RUS -19.3% |
PER 20.2% |
IND -3.8% |
CZE -2.4% |
IDN -19.1% |
KOR 9.3% |
GRC 29.1% |
EGY -13.7% |
| EM 26.0% |
POL 25.0% |
EM 32.6% |
GRC 32.9% |
POL -54.5% |
KOR 72.1% |
IND 21.0% |
CHL -20.0% |
ZAF 19.0% |
ZAF -5.8% |
MEX -9.2% |
MYS -20.1% |
CHN 1.1% |
TWN 28.5% |
EM -14.3% |
| KOR 22.9% |
PHL 23.9% |
CHL 29.3% |
KOR 32.6% |
KOR -55.1% |
PHL 68.0% |
RUS 19.4% |
TWN -20.2% |
EM 18.6% |
HUN -5.8% |
MYS -10.7% |
THA -23.3% |
POL 0.7% |
PHL 25.2% |
MEX -15.3% |
| IND 19.1% |
CHL 21.6% |
TWN 20.9% |
POL 27.4% |
BRA -56.1% |
CHN 62.6% |
EM 19.2% |
PER -21.4% |
TWN 17.7% |
CZE -8.1% |
KOR -10.7% |
EGY -23.5% |
IND -1.4% |
MYS 25.1% |
PHL -16.1% |
| PAK 18.0% |
CHN 19.8% |
ZAF 20.5% |
RUS 24.8% |
IDN -56.2% |
ZAF 57.8% |
POL 15.9% |
BRA -21.6% |
RUS 14.4% |
THA -14.3% |
CHL -12.2% |
POL -24.9% |
CZE -2.5% |
IDN 24.8% |
CHN -18.8% |
| MYS 15.2% |
HUN 18.5% |
EGY 17.1% |
CHL 23.7% |
HUN -61.5% |
MEX 56.6% |
EGY 12.4% |
POL -29.5% |
MYS 14.3% |
BRA -15.8% |
POL -13.6% |
ZAF -25.1% |
MYS -3.9% |
BRA 24.5% |
CHL -18.9% |
| TWN 9.8% |
GRC 16.1% |
COL 13.8% |
ZAF 18.1% |
TUR -62.1% |
MYS 52.1% |
BRA 6.8% |
HUN -33.7% |
CHL 8.3% |
COL -21.1% |
BRA -13.7% |
TUR -31.6% |
PHL -6.1% |
COL 16.3% |
KOR -20.5% |
| RUS 5.7% |
IDN 15.8% |
KOR 13.2% |
HUN 16.8% |
IND -64.6% |
POL 42.5% |
CHN 4.8% |
TUR -35.2% |
GRC 5.7% |
CHL -21.4% |
COL -19.8% |
PER -31.7% |
TUR -8.1% |
MEX 16.3% |
ZAF -24.3% |
| PER 3.2% |
THA 9.2% |
THA 11.6% |
COL 15.0% |
GRC -66.0% |
EGY 39.7% |
CZE -1.7% |
IND -37.2% |
IDN 5.2% |
IDN -23.1% |
HUN -27.4% |
BRA -41.2% |
MEX -9.0 |
RUS 6.1% |
PAK -34.2% |
| CHN 1.9% |
TWN 7.3% |
PAK 3.6% |
MEX 12.2% |
RUS -73.8% |
CZE 27.8% |
HUN -9.6% |
EGY -46.9% |
CZE 3.5% |
TUR -26.5% |
GRC -39.9% |
COL -41.8% |
EGY -11.4% |
EGY 5.2% |
GRC -36.7% |
| THA -0.9% |
MYS 2.3% |
TUR -7.0% |
TWN 9.1% |
PAK -74.1% |
GRC 25.3% |
GRC -44.7% |
GRC -62.7% |
BRA 0.3% |
PER -29.8% |
RUS -45.9% |
GRC -61.3% |
GRC -11.9% |
PAK -23.9% |
TUR -41.1% |
| Abbr. | Country – Index | Annual | Best | Worst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EM | MSCI Emerging Markets Index | 8.26% | 79.0% | -53.2% |
| BRA | Brazil – MSCI Brazil Index | 10.05% | 128.6% | -56.1% |
| CHL | Chile – MSCI Chile Index | 7.52% | 86.7% | -35.4% |
| CHN | China – MSCI China Index | 9.91% | 82.9% | -50.8% |
| COL | Colombia – MSCI Colombia Index | 14.63% | 133.0% | -41.8% |
| CZE | Czech Republic – MSCI Czech Republic Index | 9.74% | 87.3% | -41.8% |
| EGY | Egypt – MSCI Egypt Index | 12.07% | 161.6% | -52.4% |
| GRC | Greece – MSCI Greece Index | -16.06% | 52.7% | -66.0% |
| HUN | Hungary – MSCI Hungary Index | 7.53% | 92.5% | -61.5 |
| IND | India – MSCI India Index | 9.99% | 102.8% | -64.6% |
| IDN | Indonesia – MSCI Indonesia Index | 14.49% | 127.6% | -56.2% |
| MYS | Malaysia – MSCI Malaysia Index | 7.29% | 52.1% | -41.2% |
| Abbr. | Country – Index | Annual | Best | Worst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEX | Mexico – MSCI Mexico Index | 8.00% | 56.6% | -42.9% |
| PAK | Pakistan – MSCI Pakistan Index | 4.67% | 90.1% | -74.1% |
| PER | Peru – MSCI Peru Index | 14.51% | 94.7% | -40.1% |
| PHL | Philippines – MSCI Philippines Index | 13.37% | 69.0% | -51.9% |
| POL | Poland – MSCI Poland Index | 6.23% | 61.5% | -54.5% |
| RUS | Russia – MSCI Russia Index | 4.79% | 104.9% | -73.8% |
| ZAF | South Africa – MSCI South Africa Index | 8.17% | 57.8% | -37.9% |
| KOR | South Korea – MSCI Korea Index | 8.58% | 72.1% | -55.1% |
| TWN | Taiwan – MSCI Taiwan Index | 6.72% | 80.3% | -45.9% |
| THA | Thailand – MSCI Thailand Index | 9.97% | 77.3% | -48.3% |
| TUR | Turkey – MSCI Turkey Index | 3.16% | 98.5% | -62.1% |
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 (ex United Arab Emirates and Qatar due to lack of data). 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 12/31/18.
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