Which returned more over the last year, AGG or EMB?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AGG returned −1.4% and EMB −0.4%.

Which is cheaper, AGG or EMB?

AGG is cheaper, by 0.36 percentage points a year. That is about $36 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

AGG vs EMB: Differences, Returns & Fees

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AGG's duration was 5.8 years on Aug 31, 2026 and EMB's 6.5 on Jul 31, 2026; AGG charges 0.03% to EMB's 0.39%.

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Net assets: $139.4bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF, and $13.2bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF.

AGG on its own →EMB on its own →

At a glance

−1.4%

AGG total return, 1 year

−0.4%

EMB total return, 1 year

0.03%

AGG expense ratio

0.39%

EMB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

AGG costs 0.36 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.0 point; AGG is 10.6 times larger.

AGG vs EMB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	AGG	EMB
Return
Measure	AGG	EMB
Total return, 1 year	−1.4%	−0.4%
Drawdown
Measure	AGG	EMB
Below its high	3.4%, high on Aug 4, 2020	3.5%, high on Jun 29, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	AGG	EMB
What it tracks	Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index	J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Core Index
Cost and size
Measure	AGG	EMB
Expense ratio	0.03%	0.39%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$139.4bn	$13.2bn
Holdings
Measure	AGG	EMB
Holdings in common	1%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026. Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, AGG and EMB hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

1% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first AGG EMB

Mexico Government International Bond, due Mar 22, 2033 0.01% 0.16%

Mexico Government International Bonds, due May 7, 2036 0.01% 0.16%

Mexico Government International Bonds, due May 13, 2037 0.01% 0.18%

Republic of Poland Government International Bonds, due Feb 12, 2030 0.01% 0.29%

Mexico Government International Bonds, due Apr 22, 2029 0.01% 0.11%

Uruguay Government International Bonds, due Jun 18, 2050 0.01% 0.51%

Republic of Poland Government International Bonds, due Sep 18, 2034 0.01% 0.32%

Mexico Government International Bonds, due May 24, 2031 0.01% 0.11%

Mexico Government International Bonds, due Mar 8, 2044 0.01% 0.12%

Peru Government International Bonds, due Jan 23, 2031 0.01% 0.32%

Mexico Government International Bond, due Feb 9, 2034 0.01% 0.12%

Mexico Government International Bonds, due Apr 27, 2032 0.01% 0.09%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in AGG

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2035 0.41%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2034 0.40%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 28, 2030 0.40%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2034 0.40%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2034 0.39%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2036 0.39%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2035 0.39%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2033 0.38%

Only in EMB

Argentina Republic Government International Bonds, due Jul 9, 2035 1.21%

Ecuador Government International Bonds, due Jul 31, 2035 0.78%

Argentina Republic Government International Bonds, due Jan 9, 2038 0.70%

Argentina Republic Government International Bonds, due Jul 9, 2030 0.65%

Argentina Republic Government International Bonds, due Jul 9, 2041 0.57%

Ghana Government International Bonds, due Jul 3, 2035 0.55%

Eagle Funding Luxco Sarl, due Aug 17, 2030 0.50%

Oman Government International Bonds, due Jan 17, 2048 0.42%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

AGG iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF EMB iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares iShares

What it is Tracks an index of US aggregate bonds Tracks the J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond

Total return, 1 year −1.4% −0.4%

Its benchmark over the same days −1.3% (SCHZ) not measured

Gap to its benchmark −0.1 pts vs SCHZ not measured

Expense ratio 0.03% 0.39%

Holdings 13469 622

Net assets, AGG as of Oct 27, 2026 and EMB as of Oct 28, 2026 $139.4bn $13.2bn

AGG and EMB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

About each fund

AGG

AGG tracks an index of US aggregate bonds. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.4% with distributions reinvested, against −1.3% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 3.4% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.

EMB

EMB tracks the J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −0.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.39% a year. It sat 3.5% below its high of Jun 29, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, AGG or EMB?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AGG returned −1.4% and EMB −0.4%.
Which is cheaper, AGG or EMB?: AGG is cheaper, by 0.36 percentage points a year. That is about $36 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

AGG vs BOXX AGG vs TIP AGG vs PFF AGG vs BINC BND vs EMB EMB vs SGOV BNDX vs EMB EMB vs VCIT

Where to next

AGG on its own →EMB on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →AGG dividend history →AGG holdings →EMB dividend history →EMB holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

AGG and EMB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

AGG prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for AGG ↗

EMB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for EMB ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, AGG against EMB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/agg-vs-emb

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.