Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EFA vs VXUS: how they differ
EFA and VXUS hold 6% of their weight in the same names, and VXUS returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and VXUS hold 6% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | EFA | VXUS |
|---|---|---|
| Allianz SE | 0.81% | 0.41% |
| Siemens Energy AG | 0.76% | 0.37% |
| UBS Group AG | 0.65% | 0.33% |
| Deutsche Telekom AG | 0.55% | 0.26% |
| GSK PLC | 0.49% | 0.25% |
| Zurich Insurance Group AG | 0.47% | 0.24% |
| Infineon Technologies AG | 0.41% | 0.21% |
| Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellscha | 0.36% | 0.18% |
| AXA SA | 0.37% | 0.18% |
| Nokia Oyj | 0.31% | 0.16% |
| Nordea Bank Abp | 0.27% | 0.14% |
| Aktiebolaget Volvo | 0.26% | 0.13% |
| Only in EFA | Only in VXUS |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding N.V. 2.60% | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Lt 3.97% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.47% | Samsung Electronics Co Ltd 1.67% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.36% | ASML Holding NV 1.32% |
| Novartis AG 1.30% | SK hynix Inc 1.14% |
| Nestle S.A. 1.21% | Tencent Holdings Ltd 0.89% |
| SHELL PLC 1.20% | HSBC Holdings PLC 0.74% |
| Siemens Aktiengesellschaft 1.05% | Alibaba Group Holding Ltd 0.69% |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA 0.98% | AstraZeneca PLC 0.67% |
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 | VXUS Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | Total International Stock |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.2% | +22.3% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.7 pts | +4.8 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.05% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 705 | 8775 |
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%.
VXUS in plain words
VXUS is an index equity fund tracking the Total International Stock. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +22.3% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% 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 8775 positions, with the top ten at 12.4%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or VXUS?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +18.2% and VXUS returned +22.3%, so VXUS returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or VXUS?
- EFA charges 0.32% a year and VXUS charges 0.05%, so VXUS is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EFA and VXUS overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EFA and 0% of VXUS 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 VXUS, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/EFA-VXUS Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources