Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EWJ vs ILF: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EWJ returned +18.1% to ILF's +17.2%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 28, 2026: $23.9bn for iShares MSCI Japan ETF and $3.5bn for iShares Latin America 40 ETF.
Pair scorecard
ILF costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.9 points; EWJ is 6.8 times larger.
| Measure | EWJ | ILF |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +18.1% | +17.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.4%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | 13.7%, high on Oct 12, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI Japan Index | S&P Latin America 40 |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.47% |
| Net assets | $23.9bn | $3.5bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 29.5% | 55.6% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Nov 2, 2001 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,303 weekly returnsILF returned more: +925.5% to +295.1%. EWJ swung less: 18.8% to 28.7%. EWJ fell less at its worst: −52.4% to −64.9%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | EWJ | ILF | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +295.1% | +925.5% | ILF | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +5.6% | +9.7% | ILF | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +177.7% | +355.3% | ILF | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 18.8% | 28.7% | EWJ | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 13.3% | 20.0% | EWJ | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −52.4% | −64.9% | EWJ | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.29 | 0.41 | ILF | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.41 | 0.58 | ILF | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.11 | 0.15 | ILF | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,303 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, EWJ and ILF hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
EWJ and ILF on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
EWJ and ILF do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. EWJ follows MSCI Japan Index and ILF follows S&P Latin America 40.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026).
- Number of holdings. EWJ holds 169 positions and ILF holds 46.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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EWJ
EWJ tracks the MSCI Japan. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.1% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 169 positions, with the top ten at 29.5%. It sat 4.4% below its high of Oct 6, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
ILF
ILF tracks an index of Latin America 40. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.2% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.47% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 46 positions, with the top ten at 55.6%. It sat 13.7% below its high of Oct 12, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EWJ or ILF?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +18.1% and ILF +17.2%.
- Which is cheaper, EWJ or ILF?
- ILF is cheaper, by 0.02 percentage points a year. That is about $2 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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, EWJ against ILF, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-ilf
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EWJ against ILF. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-ilf
[EWJ against ILF (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-ilf)
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