Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EFA vs IEFA: how they differ
EFA and IEFA hold 85% of their weight in the same names.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and IEFA hold 85% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | EFA | IEFA |
|---|---|---|
| ASML HOLDING | 3.01% | 2.62% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC | 1.61% | 1.40% |
| ROCHE PS PAR AG | 1.36% | 1.18% |
| SHELL PLC | 1.25% | 1.09% |
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP | 1.15% | 1.00% |
| NOVARTIS AG | 1.15% | 0.99% |
| NESTLE SA | 1.12% | 0.97% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC | 1.09% | 0.94% |
| BHP GROUP LTD | 1.05% | 0.91% |
| SIEMENS N AG | 0.98% | 0.86% |
| SAP | 0.95% | 0.82% |
| ALLIANZ | 0.88% | 0.76% |
| Only in EFA | Only in IEFA |
|---|---|
| CASH COLLATERAL JPY RBCFT 0.01% | BEAZLEY PLC 0.04% |
| SGD CASH 0.01% | BLUESCOPE STEEL 0.04% |
| GAZTRANSPORT & TECHNIGAZ SA 0.04% | |
| IMI PLC 0.04% | |
| MEBUKI FINANCIAL GROUP INC 0.04% | |
| ROHM 0.04% | |
| SHIZUOKA FINANCIAL GROUP INC 0.04% | |
| WEIR PLC 0.04% |
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 Sep 10, 2026.
| EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | Core MSCI EAFE |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.2% | +18.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.7 pts | +0.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.07% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Holdings | 670 | 1650 |
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 Sep 10, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 670 positions, with the top ten at 13.8%.
IEFA in plain words
IEFA is an index equity fund tracking the Core MSCI EAFE. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +18.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1650 positions, with the top ten at 12.0%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or IEFA?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +18.2% and IEFA returned +18.0%, so EFA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or IEFA?
- EFA charges 0.32% a year and IEFA charges 0.07%, so IEFA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EFA and IEFA overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EFA and 0% of IEFA by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 85% 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 IEFA, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-iefa Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources