Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GOVT vs VEA: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GOVT returned −1.5% to VEA's +17.1%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $42.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF, and $231.6bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF.
Pair scorecard
VEA costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 18.6 points; VEA is 5.6 times larger.
| Measure | GOVT | VEA |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −1.5% | +17.1% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020 | 4.4%, high on Aug 25, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index | FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $41.4bn | $231.6bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 13.6% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and VEA hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
GOVT and VEA on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
GOVT
GOVT tracks an index of U.S. Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 8.1% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.
VEA
VEA tracks an index of Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.1% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 3,906 positions, with the top ten at 13.6%. It sat 4.4% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or VEA?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.5% and VEA +17.1%.
- Which is cheaper, GOVT or VEA?
- VEA 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.
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ETFIQ, GOVT against VEA, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vea
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GOVT against VEA. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vea
[GOVT against VEA (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vea)
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