iShares MSCI Australia ETF (EWA) Performance
EWA total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +12.8% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +10.5% total return
- 5 years
- +6.1% a year
- 10 years
- +7.8% a year
- Since first price
- +7.8% a year since 1996
EWA trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | EWA total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +2.7% | +2.7% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +2.2% | +2.2% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +0.9% | −0.5% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +12.8% | +11.2% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +10.5% | +7.1% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +56.0%+16.0%/yr | +40.9% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +34.8%+6.1%/yr | +9.7% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +112.2%+7.8%/yr | +40.5% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| 15 years | +145.1%+6.2%/yr | +26.5% | +696.0%+14.8%/yr | +1,299.3%+19.2%/yr | +32.2%+1.9%/yr |
| 20 years | +220.5%+6.0%/yr | +29.9% | +696.9%+10.9%/yr | +1,839.9%+16.0%/yr | +79.6%+3.0%/yr |
| 30 years | +797.4%+7.6%/yr | +170.9% | +1,693.8%+10.1%/yr | — | — |
| Since inceptionMar 18, 1996 | +882.3%+7.8%/yr | +191.2% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: EWA vs SPY
From Mar 18, 1996: EWA grew to $98,226, SPY to $196,507.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
EWA returns by calendar year
20 of 29 full years positive. Best 2009 (+68.2%), worst 2008 (−48.0%). 2026 is year to date.
EWA annual returns table
| Year | EWA | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +12.8% | −10.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +13.4% | −18.9% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +1.6% | −10.8% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +13.8% | −16.7% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −5.9% | −24.9% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +8.9% | −10.4% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +8.3% | −45.5% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +22.4% | −7.9% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −12.0% | −19.1% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +19.9% | −5.8% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +11.1% | −13.1% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | −9.9% | −27.2% | +1.2% | +9.4% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | −4.6% | −19.5% | +13.5% | +19.2% | +6.0% |
| 2013 | +1.8% | −19.9% | +32.3% | +36.6% | −2.0% |
| 2012 | +24.0% | −15.2% | +16.0% | +18.1% | +3.8% |
| 2011 | −11.6% | −30.4% | +1.9% | +3.4% | +7.7% |
| 2010 | +15.3% | −26.5% | +15.1% | +19.9% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | +68.2% | −27.1% | +26.4% | +54.7% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | −48.0% | −63.9% | −36.8% | −41.7% | +7.9% |
| 2007 | +28.2% | −20.5% | +5.1% | +19.0% | +6.6% |
| 2006 | +30.9% | −15.9% | +15.8% | +7.1% | +3.9% |
| 2005 | +16.7% | −11.1% | +4.8% | +1.6% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | +29.4% | −16.0% | +10.7% | +10.5% | +3.8% |
| 2003 | +55.3% | −10.8% | +28.2% | +49.7% | — |
| 2002 | −1.2% | −20.7% | −21.6% | −37.4% | — |
| 2001 | +1.9% | −22.5% | −11.8% | −33.3% | — |
| 2000 | −11.9% | −19.3% | −9.7% | −36.1% | — |
| 1999 | +19.2% | −14.8% | +20.4% | — | — |
| 1998 | +4.2% | −28.6% | +28.7% | — | — |
| 1997 | −12.1% | −23.5% | +33.5% | — | — |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
EWA largest drawdowns
Now 4.3% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 31, 2007 | −67.0% | Nov 20, 2008 | Jan 29, 2013 | 1.1 years | 5.2 years |
| Jan 16, 2020 | −45.5% | Mar 23, 2020 | Nov 24, 2020 | 2 months | 10 months |
| Sep 3, 2014 | −35.4% | Jan 15, 2016 | Dec 27, 2017 | 1.4 years | 3.3 years |
| Jul 3, 1997 | −33.7% | Aug 27, 1998 | Apr 28, 1999 | 1.1 years | 1.8 years |
| Jul 6, 1999 | −29.9% | Sep 21, 2001 | May 13, 2003 | 2.2 years | 3.9 years |
| Apr 4, 2022 | −24.9% | Oct 14, 2022 | Mar 7, 2024 | 6 months | 1.9 years |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
EWA risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +13.4% | +7.0% | +7.4% | +7.6% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 16.4% | 20.3% | 18.9% | 21.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.58 | 0.26 | 0.35 | — |
| Sortino ratio | 0.92 | 0.38 | 0.51 | — |
| Best month | +10.6% | +14.3% | +14.9% | +19.3% |
| Worst month | −8.2% | −11.3% | −22.8% | −27.0% |
| Best 12 months | +31.1% | +31.1% | +63.3% | +103.5% |
| Worst 12 months | −1.5% | −16.3% | −24.8% | −54.9% |
| Positive months | 58% | 57% | 61% | 58% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.83 | 0.98 | 0.97 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.63 | 0.76 | 0.79 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
EWA rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 356 | −54.9% | +8.4% | +103.5% | 69% |
| 3-year (a year) | 332 | −12.8% | +5.8% | +36.6% | 82% |
| 5-year (a year) | 308 | −3.2% | +6.2% | +35.8% | 92% |
| 10-year (a year) | 248 | +0.4% | +7.7% | +17.2% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 1996. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
EWA performance overview
iShares MSCI Australia ETF (EWA) returned +10.5% over the past year and +7.8% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 1996 it has returned +7.8% a year, turning $10,000 into about $98,226. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −67.0%, from Oct 31, 2007 to Nov 20, 2008, and it took 4.2 years to get back to the old high. EWA finished 20 of its 29 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2009 (+68.2%) and the worst 2008 (−48.0%). Volatility has been 21.5% a year.
Related: EWA chart, EWA holdings, EWA dividends. See the EWA overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
EWA performance FAQ
What is the EWA return over the past year?
EWA returned +10.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 7.1%.
What is the average annual return of EWA?
EWA has returned +6.1% a year over 5 years, +7.8% a year over 10 years, +7.8% a year since March 18, 1996 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in EWA be worth?
$10,000 invested in EWA at its first recorded close on March 18, 1996 would be worth about $98,226 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for EWA?
The worst calendar year was 2008, with a total return of −48.0%. The best was 2009 at +68.2%.
What is the biggest drawdown of EWA?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −67.0% between October 31, 2007 and November 20, 2008. It recovered to the old high on January 29, 2013, 4.2 years after the bottom.
How volatile is EWA?
Over the past 3 years EWA had an annualized volatility of 16.4% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.58 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).