Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or VGLT?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.5% and VGLT −6.7%.

Which is cheaper, GOVT or VGLT?

VGLT 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.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

GOVT vs VGLT: Differences, Returns & Fees

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GOVT's duration was 5.5 years on Jul 31, 2026 and VGLT's 13.5 on May 31, 2026; VGLT charges 0.03% to GOVT's 0.05%.

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Net assets: $42.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF, and $10.4bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF.

GOVT on its own →VGLT on its own →

At a glance

−1.5%

GOVT total return, 1 year

−6.7%

VGLT total return, 1 year

0.05%

GOVT expense ratio

0.03%

VGLT expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VGLT costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 5.2 points; GOVT is 4.0 times larger.

GOVT vs VGLT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	GOVT	VGLT
Return
Measure	GOVT	VGLT
Total return, 1 year	−1.5%	−6.7%
Drawdown
Measure	GOVT	VGLT
Below its high	8.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020	38.8%, high on Aug 4, 2020
Benchmark
Measure	GOVT	VGLT
What it tracks	ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index	Bloomberg U.S. Long Treasury Index
Cost and size
Measure	GOVT	VGLT
Expense ratio	0.05%	0.03%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$41.4bn	$10.4bn
Holdings
Measure	GOVT	VGLT
Holdings in common	17%

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

Risk and return

Mar 2, 2012 to Oct 23, 2026 · 764 weekly returns

GOVT VGLT

Return

Total return edge GOVT +18.4% +10.4%

Annualized edge GOVT +1.2% +0.7%

Price return edge GOVT −10.6% −28.7%

Risk

Volatility edge GOVT 4.5% 12.8%

Max drawdown edge GOVT −18.7% −45.6%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge VGLT −0.11 −0.02

Sortino edge VGLT −0.15 −0.03

Calmar edge GOVT 0.06 0.01

Reading

GOVT returned more: +18.4% to +10.4%. GOVT swung less: 4.5% to 12.8%. GOVT fell less at its worst: −18.7% to −45.6%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: GOVT vs VGLT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	GOVT	VGLT	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+18.4%	+10.4%	GOVT	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+1.2%	+0.7%	GOVT	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−10.6%	−28.7%	GOVT	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	4.5%	12.8%	GOVT	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	3.3%	9.3%	GOVT	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−18.7%	−45.6%	GOVT	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	−0.11	−0.02	VGLT	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	−0.15	−0.03	VGLT	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.06	0.01	GOVT	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 764 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

17%

By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and VGLT hold 17% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

17% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first GOVT VGLT

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2051 1.46% 1.36%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2043 1.37% 0.65%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2052 0.60% 1.64%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2055 0.59% 2.17%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2042 1.46% 0.57%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due May 15, 2046 1.48% 0.56%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due May 15, 2054 0.54% 2.17%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Aug 15, 2054 0.52% 2.04%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Aug 15, 2055 0.45% 2.21%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due May 15, 2055 0.43% 2.21%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2039 0.48% 0.43%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2054 0.43% 2.13%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in GOVT

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2031 5.28%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2029 2.95%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2028 2.63%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2028 2.08%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2028 1.62%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2027 1.38%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2027 1.36%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 31, 2028 1.20%

Only in VGLT

US TREASURY N/B, due May 15, 2045 1.40%

US TREASURY N/B, due Nov 15, 2043 1.40%

US TREASURY N/B, due May 15, 2044 1.37%

US TREASURY N/B, due Aug 15, 2045 1.37%

US TREASURY N/B, due Feb 15, 2045 1.36%

US TREASURY N/B, due Feb 15, 2044 1.35%

US TREASURY N/B, due Nov 15, 2044 1.35%

US TREASURY N/B, due Feb 15, 2046 1.34%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

GOVT iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF VGLT Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares Vanguard

What it is Tracks an index of U.S. Treasury Bond Tracks an index of Long-term Treasury

Total return, 1 year −1.5% −6.7%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured −6.7% (SCHQ)

Gap to its benchmark not measured 0.0 pts vs SCHQ

Expense ratio 0.05% 0.03%

Holdings 229 102

Net assets, GOVT as of Oct 27, 2026 and VGLT as of Sep 30, 2026 $42.8bn $10.4bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-D283F06858

GOVT and VGLT do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?

What each follows. GOVT follows ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index and VGLT follows Bloomberg U.S. Long Treasury Index.
Holdings in common. 17% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and May 31, 2026).
One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 GOVT returned −1.5% and VGLT −6.7% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 5.2 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

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.

VGLT

VGLT tracks an index of Long-term Treasury. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −6.7% with distributions reinvested, against −6.7% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Long Treasury Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 38.8% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or VGLT?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.5% and VGLT −6.7%.
Which is cheaper, GOVT or VGLT?: VGLT 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.

Other comparisons

GOVT vs TLT EDV vs GOVT GOVT vs VCLT GOVT vs SCHP IEF vs VGLT VGIT vs VGLT MBB vs VGLT VGLT vs VGSH

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

GOVT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

GOVT prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for GOVT ↗

VGLT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VGLT prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VGLT ↗

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, GOVT against VGLT, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vglt

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