Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EFA vs VEU: how they differ
EFA and VEU hold 6% of their weight in the same names, and VEU returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and VEU hold 6% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | EFA | VEU |
|---|---|---|
| Allianz SE | 0.81% | 0.45% |
| Siemens Energy AG | 0.76% | 0.41% |
| UBS Group AG | 0.65% | 0.36% |
| Deutsche Telekom AG | 0.55% | 0.28% |
| GSK PLC | 0.49% | 0.27% |
| Zurich Insurance Group AG | 0.47% | 0.27% |
| Infineon Technologies AG | 0.41% | 0.23% |
| Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellscha | 0.36% | 0.20% |
| AXA SA | 0.37% | 0.20% |
| Nokia Oyj | 0.31% | 0.17% |
| Aktiebolaget Volvo | 0.26% | 0.14% |
| Deutsche Post AG | 0.25% | 0.14% |
| Only in EFA | Only in VEU |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding N.V. 2.60% | Samsung Electronics Co Ltd 1.83% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.47% | ASML Holding NV 1.45% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.36% | SK hynix Inc 1.24% |
| Novartis AG 1.30% | Tencent Holdings Ltd 0.97% |
| Nestle S.A. 1.21% | HSBC Holdings PLC 0.81% |
| SHELL PLC 1.20% | Alibaba Group Holding Ltd 0.76% |
| Siemens Aktiengesellschaft 1.05% | AstraZeneca PLC 0.73% |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA 0.98% | Novartis AG 0.73% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026.
| EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | VEU Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | FTSE All-World ex-US |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.2% | +22.9% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.7 pts | +5.4 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.04% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 705 | 3860 |
EFA in plain words
EFA is an index equity fund tracking the Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +18.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.32% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 705 positions, with the top ten at 13.4%.
VEU in plain words
VEU is an index equity fund tracking the FTSE All-World ex-US. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +22.9% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.04% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 3860 positions, with the top ten at 13.6%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or VEU?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +18.2% and VEU returned +22.9%, so VEU returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or VEU?
- EFA charges 0.32% a year and VEU charges 0.04%, so VEU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EFA and VEU overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EFA and 0% of VEU by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 6% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, EFA against VEU, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/EFA-VEU Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources