EMB vs VWOB: Differences, Returns & Fees
On Jul 31, 2026 EMB's duration was 6.5 years and VWOB's 6.4; VWOB charges 0.15% to EMB's 0.39%. Net assets: $12.9bn on Oct 9, 2026 for iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF, and $6.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Emerging Markets Government Bond ETF.
VWOB costs 0.24 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.5 points; EMB is 2.1 times larger.
| EMB | VWOB | |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.39% | 0.15% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $12.9bn | $6.1bn |
| Total return, 1 year | +1.0% | +0.5% |
| What it tracks | J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Core Index | not read by ETFIQ |
| Holdings in common | 58% | |
| Below its high | 4.1%, high on Jun 29, 2026 | 4.2%, high on Jun 29, 2026 |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jul 31, 2026.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EMB and VWOB hold 58% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026.
half
58% in common
On the same fields
EMB and VWOB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 9, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
EMB in plain words
EMB tracks the J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned +1.0% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.39% a year. It sat 4.1% below its high of Jun 29, 2026 on Oct 9, 2026.
VWOB in plain words
VWOB tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned +0.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. It sat 4.2% below its high of Jun 29, 2026 on Oct 9, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EMB or VWOB?
- In the year to Oct 9, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned +1.0% and VWOB +0.5%.
- Which is cheaper, EMB or VWOB?
- VWOB is cheaper, by 0.24 percentage points a year. That is about $24 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. 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, EMB against VWOB, data as of Oct 9, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-vwob
ETFIQ. (Oct 9, 2026). EMB against VWOB. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-vwob
[EMB against VWOB (ETFIQ, Oct 9, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-vwob)
Free to use with attribution for figures ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.