Stock market returns by year
The S&P 500 rose in 56 of the 76 full calendar years from 1950 to 2025, gaining 8.2% a year compounded (price only, before dividends). The best year was 1954 (+45.0%) and the worst 2008 (-38.5%). So far in 2026, it is +7.8%.
S&P 500 return by year
| Year | S&P 500 | Nasdaq | Dow Jones | Gold | Bitcoin | S&P 500 close |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +7.8% | +5.8% | +6.7% | -6.0% | -13.3% | 7,376.86 |
| 2025 | +16.4% | +20.4% | +13.0% | +64.4% | -6.3% | 6,845.50 |
| 2024 | +23.3% | +28.6% | +12.9% | +27.5% | +121.0% | 5,881.63 |
| 2023 | +24.2% | +43.4% | +13.7% | +13.4% | +155.4% | 4,769.83 |
| 2022 | -19.4% | -33.1% | -8.8% | -0.1% | -64.3% | 3,839.50 |
| 2021 | +26.9% | +21.4% | +18.7% | -3.5% | +59.7% | 4,766.18 |
| 2020 | +16.3% | +43.6% | +7.2% | +24.7% | +303.2% | 3,756.07 |
| 2019 | +28.9% | +35.2% | +22.3% | +18.9% | +92.2% | 3,230.78 |
| 2018 | -6.2% | -3.9% | -5.6% | -2.1% | -73.6% | 2,506.85 |
| 2017 | +19.4% | +28.2% | +25.1% | +13.6% | +1368.9% | 2,673.61 |
| 2016 | +9.5% | +7.5% | +13.4% | +8.5% | +123.8% | 2,238.83 |
| 2015 | -0.7% | +5.7% | -2.2% | -10.4% | +34.5% | 2,043.94 |
| 2014 | +11.4% | +13.4% | +7.5% | -1.5% | — | 2,058.90 |
| 2013 | +29.6% | +38.3% | +26.5% | -28.2% | — | 1,848.36 |
| 2012 | +13.4% | +15.9% | +7.3% | +7.0% | — | 1,426.19 |
| 2011 | -0.0% | -1.8% | +5.5% | +10.2% | — | 1,257.60 |
| 2010 | +12.8% | +16.9% | +11.0% | +29.8% | — | 1,257.64 |
| 2009 | +23.4% | +43.9% | +18.8% | +23.9% | — | 1,115.10 |
| 2008 | -38.5% | -40.5% | -33.8% | +5.8% | — | 903.25 |
| 2007 | +3.5% | +9.8% | +6.4% | +31.4% | — | 1,468.36 |
| 2006 | +13.6% | +9.5% | +16.3% | +22.8% | — | 1,418.30 |
| 2005 | +3.0% | +1.4% | -0.6% | +18.2% | — | 1,248.29 |
| 2004 | +9.0% | +8.6% | +3.1% | +5.2% | — | 1,211.92 |
| 2003 | +26.4% | +50.0% | +25.3% | +19.6% | — | 1,111.92 |
| 2002 | -23.4% | -31.5% | -16.8% | +24.7% | — | 879.82 |
| 2001 | -13.0% | -21.1% | -7.1% | +2.5% | — | 1,148.08 |
| 2000 | -10.1% | -39.3% | -6.2% | — | — | 1,320.28 |
| 1999 | +19.5% | +85.6% | +25.2% | — | — | 1,469.25 |
| 1998 | +26.7% | +39.6% | +16.1% | — | — | 1,229.23 |
| 1997 | +31.0% | +21.6% | +22.6% | — | — | 970.43 |
| 1996 | +20.3% | +22.7% | +26.0% | — | — | 740.74 |
| 1995 | +34.1% | +39.9% | +33.5% | — | — | 615.93 |
| 1994 | -1.5% | -3.2% | +2.1% | — | — | 459.27 |
| 1993 | +7.1% | +14.8% | +13.7% | — | — | 466.45 |
| 1992 | +4.5% | +15.4% | — | — | — | 435.71 |
| 1991 | +26.3% | +56.9% | — | — | — | 417.09 |
| 1990 | -6.6% | -17.8% | — | — | — | 330.22 |
| 1989 | +27.2% | +19.2% | — | — | — | 353.40 |
| 1988 | +12.4% | +15.4% | — | — | — | 277.72 |
| 1987 | +2.0% | -5.2% | — | — | — | 247.08 |
| 1986 | +14.6% | +7.4% | — | — | — | 242.17 |
| 1985 | +26.3% | +31.5% | — | — | — | 211.28 |
| 1984 | +1.4% | -11.3% | — | — | — | 167.24 |
| 1983 | +17.3% | +19.9% | — | — | — | 164.93 |
| 1982 | +14.8% | +18.7% | — | — | — | 140.64 |
| 1981 | -9.7% | -3.2% | — | — | — | 122.55 |
| 1980 | +25.8% | +33.9% | — | — | — | 135.76 |
| 1979 | +12.3% | +28.1% | — | — | — | 107.94 |
| 1978 | +1.1% | +12.3% | — | — | — | 96.11 |
| 1977 | -11.5% | +7.3% | — | — | — | 95.10 |
| 1976 | +19.1% | +26.1% | — | — | — | 107.46 |
| 1975 | +31.6% | +29.8% | — | — | — | 90.19 |
| 1974 | -29.7% | -35.1% | — | — | — | 68.56 |
| 1973 | -17.4% | -31.1% | — | — | — | 97.55 |
| 1972 | +15.6% | +17.2% | — | — | — | 118.05 |
| 1971 | +10.8% | — | — | — | — | 102.09 |
| 1970 | +0.1% | — | — | — | — | 92.15 |
| 1969 | -11.4% | — | — | — | — | 92.06 |
| 1968 | +7.7% | — | — | — | — | 103.86 |
| 1967 | +20.1% | — | — | — | — | 96.47 |
| 1966 | -13.1% | — | — | — | — | 80.33 |
| 1965 | +9.1% | — | — | — | — | 92.43 |
| 1964 | +13.0% | — | — | — | — | 84.75 |
| 1963 | +18.9% | — | — | — | — | 75.02 |
| 1962 | -11.8% | — | — | — | — | 63.10 |
| 1961 | +23.1% | — | — | — | — | 71.55 |
| 1960 | -3.0% | — | — | — | — | 58.11 |
| 1959 | +8.5% | — | — | — | — | 59.89 |
| 1958 | +38.1% | — | — | — | — | 55.21 |
| 1957 | -14.3% | — | — | — | — | 39.99 |
| 1956 | +2.6% | — | — | — | — | 46.67 |
| 1955 | +26.4% | — | — | — | — | 45.48 |
| 1954 | +45.0% | — | — | — | — | 35.98 |
| 1953 | -6.6% | — | — | — | — | 24.81 |
| 1952 | +11.8% | — | — | — | — | 26.57 |
| 1951 | +16.4% | — | — | — | — | 23.77 |
| 1950 | +21.7% | — | — | — | — | 20.43 |
Calendar-year change in each index's closing level (price return; dividends not included). Nasdaq from 1972; the Dow from 1993 (the public daily series starts in 1992); gold (COMEX futures) from 2001; bitcoin from 2015.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average annual return of the S&P 500?
From 1950 to 2025 the S&P 500's price rose at a compound rate of about 8.2% a year; the simple average of the yearly price returns was 9.6%. Reinvested dividends added a few percentage points a year on top — roughly 3 on average since 1950, more in the 1950s and less in recent decades — which these price-only figures leave out.
How often does the S&P 500 go up in a year?
The index ended higher in 56 of 76 full calendar years since 1950 (74%).
What was the best and worst year for the S&P 500?
The best year since 1950 was 1954 (+45.0%) and the worst 2008 (-38.5%), on a price basis.
Source: daily index closes from Yahoo Finance; price returns only. Past performance does not predict future returns. Not investment advice.