Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IEMG vs VXUS: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IEMG returned +15.3% to VXUS's +13.8%; 26% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $150.4bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, and $163.2bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Total International Stock ETF.
Pair scorecard
VXUS costs 0.04 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.5 points.
| Measure | IEMG | VXUS |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +15.3% | +13.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 10.1%, high on Jun 22, 2026 | 5.1%, high on Sep 4, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index (IMI) | FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.05% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $160.1bn | $163.2bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 26% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 32.7% | 14.6% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Nov 2, 2012 to Oct 23, 2026 · 729 weekly returnsVXUS returned more: +179.0% to +120.7%. VXUS swung less: 15.7% to 18.2%. VXUS fell slightly less at its worst: −34.6% to −37.1%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | IEMG | VXUS | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +120.7% | +179.0% | VXUS | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +5.8% | +7.6% | VXUS | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +56.0% | +84.4% | VXUS | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 18.2% | 15.7% | VXUS | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 13.0% | 11.2% | VXUS | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −37.1% | −34.6% | VXUS (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.30 | 0.43 | VXUS | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.42 | 0.60 | VXUS | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.16 | 0.22 | VXUS | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 729 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, IEMG and VXUS hold 26% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
26% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
IEMG and VXUS on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IEMG and VXUS do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. IEMG follows MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index (IMI) and VXUS follows FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index.
- Holdings in common. 26% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026).
- Number of holdings. IEMG holds 2,857 positions and VXUS holds 8913.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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IEMG
IEMG tracks the MSCI Emerging Markets. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +15.3% with distributions reinvested, against +16.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% 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 2,857 positions, with the top ten at 32.7%. It sat 10.1% below its high of Jun 22, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
VXUS
VXUS tracks an index of Total International Stock. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% 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 8,913 positions, with the top ten at 14.6%. It sat 5.1% below its high of Sep 4, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IEMG or VXUS?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEMG returned +15.3% and VXUS +13.8%.
- Which is cheaper, IEMG or VXUS?
- VXUS is cheaper, by 0.04 percentage points a year. That is about $4 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, IEMG against VXUS, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iemg-vs-vxus
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IEMG against VXUS. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iemg-vs-vxus
[IEMG against VXUS (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iemg-vs-vxus)
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