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International Stock Market Performance

It’s a big world out there. The U.S. makes up a little less than half of the global market cap. By avoiding international stock markets, you cut out half of the investment opportunities. Why limit yourself?

The chart below breaks down the annual performance of developed international stock markets. Each country’s performance seems to bounce around at random year after year, but over the long term those returns smooth out. While it’s difficult to pick the best performing country every year, a diversified global portfolio offers the benefits of international stock market performance which in turn lowers risk.

The table below ranks the best to worst international stock market performance over the past 15 years. Hover over the table to highlight each country’s market returns over that period.


International Stock Market Returns

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Total
ISR
-28.8%
NOR
88.6%
SWE
34.8%
IRL
14.3%
BEL
40.7%
FIN
48.0%
ISR
23.7%
DNK
24.4%
CAN
25.5%
AUT
59.0%
FIN
-2.2%
NZL
38.8%
DNK
44.4%
AUT
42.3%
PRT
1.1%
DNK
266.7%
JPN
-29.1%
AUS
76.8%
DNK
31.1%
NZL
6.4%
DEU
32.1%
IRL
41.7%
NZL
8.2%
IRL
16.9%
NZL
19.3%
HKG
36.2%
NZL
-3.5%
IRL
38.1%
NLD
24.4%
NLD
27.9%
DNK
-4.3%
CHE
141.6%
CHE
-29.9%
SGP
74.0%
HKG
23.2%
GBR
-2.5%
DNK
31.9%
DEU
32.4%
DNK
6.8%
BEL
13.0%
NOR
14.6%
SGP
35.6%
ISR
-5.2%
CHE
33.6%
SWE
24.4%
CAN
26.9%
HKG
-4.7%
SWE
99.6%
ESP
-40.1%
SWE
65.9%
SGP
22.2%
CHE
-6.1%
SGP
31.0%
ESP
32.3%
HKG
5.1%
ISR
11.1%
AUT
11.9%
DNK
35.6%
NOR
-7.6%
NLD
32.7%
FIN
21.7%
SWE
23.5%
GBR
-4.8%
NLD
97.5%
FRA
-42.7%
HKG
60.2%
CAN
21.2%
NOR
-9.1%
NZL
30.4%
NLD
31.8%
BEL
4.9%
JPN
9.9%
AUS
11.7%
NLD
32.7%
HKG
-7.8%
DNK
29.0%
NZL
20.2%
NOR
23.5%
AUS
-5.1%
NZL
92.6%
EAFE
-43.1%
BEL
58.6%
JPN
15.6%
BEL
-10.0%
HKG
28.3%
BEL
28.8%
SGP
3.1%
AUT
3.9%
FRA
6.0%
FRA
29.9%
CHE
-8.2%
ITA
28.7%
PRT
15.5%
FRA
20.6%
NOR
-5.7%
AUS
66.3%
CAN
-45.2%
CAN
57.4%
AUS
14.7%
AUS
-10.8%
AUT
27.0%
FRA
27.7%
IRL
2.6%
FIN
3.1%
NLD
5.3%
NOR
29.6%
SGP
-9.4%
CAN
28.5%
IRL
15.5%
CHE
20.4%
ESP
-6.8%
HKG
65.3%
DEU
-45.5%
ISR
54.6%
CHE
12.9%
ESP
-11.2%
SWE
23.4%
CHE
27.6%
CAN
2.2%
ITA
3.0%
PRT
4.7%
ITA
29.6%
PRT
-10.1%
FRA
27.0%
ISR
15.2%
DNK
19.5%
SGP
-11.0%
CAN
56.3%
DNK
-47.3%
NZL
51.7%
NOR
11.8%
NLD
-11.7%
FRA
22.8%
JPN
27.4%
FIN
0.8%
PRT
1.9%
DEU
3.5%
DEU
28.5%
AUS
-11.8%
PRT
25.2%
JPN
14.9%
GBR
18.5%
BEL
-11.6%
FRA
51.6%
SGP
-47.3%
ESP
45.1%
FIN
11.6%
EAFE
-11.7%
AUS
22.3%
SWE
26.0%
CHE
0.7%
NLD
1.7%
JPN
2.7%
ESP
27.7%
FRA
-11.9%
AUS
23.2%
CHE
12.8%
ITA
16.1%
CAN
-12.2%
JPN
43.8%
NLD
-47.9%
AUT
44.8%
AUT
10.7%
CAN
-12.2%
CHE
21.5%
DNK
25.9%
NLD
-3.2%
CHE
1.2%
HKG
2.3%
EAFE
25.6%
JPN
-12.6%
SWE
22.9%
DEU
12.3%
ISR
15.6%
FRA
-12.7%
EAFE
40.5%
GBR
-48.3%
GBR
43.4%
DEU
9.3%
JPN
-14.2%
NLD
21.2%
EAFE
23.3%
AUS
-3.2%
FRA
0.8%
SWE
1.9%
PRT
25.2%
SWE
-12.6%
EAFE
22.7%
AUS
8.9%
EAFE
11.8%
NZL
-13.3%
SGP
29.9%
SWE
-49.2%
NLD
43.0%
NZL
9.2%
SWE
-15.1%
NOR
19.7%
ITA
21.3%
JPN
-3.7%
EAFE
-0.4%
EAFE
1.5%
JPN
24.4%
NLD
-12.8%
DEU
21.7%
EAFE
8.3%
FIN
10.1%
ITA
-13.4%
GBR
23.1%
ITA
-49.2%
PRT
41.7%
GBR
8.8%
DNK
-15.7%
EAFE
17.9%
GBR
20.7%
ESP
-4.4%
HKG
-0.5%
SGP
1.5%
FIN
24.0%
EAFE
-13.4%
BEL
21.4%
CAN
6.2%
AUS
9.6%
EAFE
-14.0%
DEU
14.6%
AUS
-50.0%
DNK
37.1%
EAFE
8.2%
FRA
-16.0%
FIN
16.5%
AUT
14.3%
EAFE
-4.5%
DEU
-1.3%
GBR
0.0%
CHE
23.6%
GBR
-14.1%
GBR
21.1%
HKG
5.8%
IRL
8.8%
FIN
-14.0%
NOR
9.1%
HKG
-51.2%
FRA
33.3%
ISR
5.0%
HKG
-16.0%
GBR
15.3%
PRT
12.3%
GBR
-5.4%
SWE
-4.0%
ESP
-0.5%
GBR
22.4%
DNK
-14.9%
JPN
20.1%
FRA
4.7%
DEU
5.9%
JPN
-16.3%
FIN
5.4%
PRT
-51.8%
EAFE
32.5%
NLD
2.2%
DEU
-17.5%
ITA
13.5%
NZL
12.2%
SWE
-6.6%
NZL
-5.4%
FIN
-3.3%
SWE
21.8%
ESP
-15.7%
AUT
15.2%
ITA
2.4%
SGP
5.7%
CHE
-17.6%
ISR
-2.0%
NZL
-53.4%
ITA
28.0%
BEL
0.2%
SGP
-17.9%
CAN
9.9%
ISR
11.9%
FRA
-9.0%
GBR
-7.5%
CHE
-4.0%
AUS
20.2%
CAN
-16.6%
SGP
15.1%
NOR
-0.9%
BEL
2.9%
DEU
-21.6%
BEL
-12.4%
FIN
-54.7%
CHE
26.6%
FRA
-3.2%
PRT
-21.9%
JPN
8.4%
HKG
11.1%
ITA
-9.0%
AUS
-9.8%
IRL
-6.8%
BEL
19.8%
ITA
-17.0%
ESP
12.7%
AUT
-2.8%
JPN
2.0%
AUT
-25.6%
ESP
-25.4%
NOR
-63.9%
DEU
26.6%
PRT
-10.5%
ITA
-22.3%
IRL
6.3%
NOR
10.4%
DEU
-9.8%
NOR
-14.2%
BEL
-6.8%
IRL
18.5%
DEU
-21.6%
NOR
11.6%
ESP
-4.5%
ESP
1.7%
IRL
-25.9%
ITA
-27.7%
BEL
-66.2%
IRL
12.9%
ITA
-14.1%
ISR
-27.6%
PRT
5.0%
CAN
6.4%
NOR
-21.2%
ESP
-15.4%
ITA
-9.5%
CAN
16.9%
IRL
-25.0%
FIN
10.8%
SGP
-7.4%
PRT
1.1%
ISR
-26.3%
PRT
-37.8%
AUT
-68.2%
FIN
12.7%
IRL
-17.7%
FIN
-31.0%
ESP
4.7%
AUS
4.3%
AUT
-29.4%
SGP
-17.7%
DNK
-15.2
NZL
12.7%
BEL
-26.1%
HKG
10.3%
BEL
-7.6%
HKG
-3.9%
NLD
-27.5%
IRL
-42.2%
IRL
-71.7%
JPN
6.4%
ESP
-21.1%
AUT
-36.0%
ISR
-3.9%
SGP
1.7%
PRT
-37.7
CAN
-23.6%
ISR
-24.5%
ISR
2.6%
AUT
-27.1%
ISR
9.9%
GBR
-10.4%
NZL
-16.8%
SWE
-27.7%
AUT
-46.6%
Abbr. Country – Index Annual Best Worst
EAFE MSCI EAFE Index 2.29% 32.5% -43.1%
AUS Australia – MSCI Australia Index 3.45% 76.8% -50.0%
AUT Austria – MSCI Austria Index -4.09% 59.0% -68.2%
BEL Belgium – MSCI Belgium Index -0.88% 58.6% -66.2%
CAN Canada – MSCI Canada Index 3.02% 57.4% -45.2%
DNK Denmark – MSCI Denmark Index 9.05% 44.4% -47.3%
FIN Finland – MSCI Finland Index 0.35% 48.0% -54.7%
FRA France – MSCI France Index 2.81% 33.3% -42.7%
DEU Germany – MSCI Germany Index 0.91% 32.4% -45.5%
HKG Hong Kong – MSCI Hong Kong Index 3.41% 60.2% -51.2%
IRL Ireland – MSCI Ireland Index -3.59% 41.7% -71.7%
ISR Israel – MSCI Israel Index -0.13% 54.6% -28.8%
Abbr. Country – Index Annual Best Worst
ITA Italy – MSCI Italy Index -2.14% 29.6% -49.2%
JPN Japan – MSCI Japan Index 2.45% 27.4% -29.1%
NLD Netherlands – MSCI Netherlands Index 4.64% 43.0% -47.9%
NZL New Zealand – MSCI New Zealand Index 4.46% 51.7% -53.4%
NOR Norway – MSCI Norway Index 0.58% 88.6% -63.9%
PRT Portugal – MSCI Portugal Index -3.12% 41.7% -51.8%
SGP Singapore – MSCI Singapore Index 1.76% 74.0% -47.3%
ESP Spain – MSCI Spain Index -1.93% 45.1% -40.1%
SWE Sweden – MSCI Sweden Index 4.72% 65.9% -49.2%
CHE Switzerland – MSCI Switzerland Index 6.06% 33.6% -29.9%
GBR United Kingdom – MSCI United Kingdom Index 1.40% 43.4% -48.3%
Past performance does not guarantee future returns. The historical performance is meant to show changes in market trends across the top international stock markets in the MSCI EAFE ex. U.S. 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 12/31/22.

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