Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VGK vs VPL: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VGK returned +10.4% to VPL's +24.8%; 1% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Sep 30, 2026: $29.6bn for Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF and $9.0bn for Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF.
Pair scorecard
VGK costs 0.01 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 14.4 points; VGK is 3.3 times larger.
| Measure | VGK | VPL |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +10.4% | +24.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 6.1%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | 7.2%, high on Jun 22, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index | FTSE Developed Asia Pacific All Cap Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.06% | 0.07% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $29.6bn | $9.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 1% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 19.0% | 24.8% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Mar 18, 2005 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,127 weekly returnsVPL returned slightly more: +284.0% to +270.3%. VPL swung less: 18.2% to 20.9%. VPL fell less at its worst: −54.0% to −62.1%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VGK | VPL | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +270.3% | +284.0% | VPL (slight) | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +6.2% | +6.4% | VPL (slight) | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +71.8% | +114.2% | VPL | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 20.9% | 18.2% | VPL | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 15.1% | 13.2% | VPL | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −62.1% | −54.0% | VPL | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.31 | 0.33 | VPL (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.43 | 0.46 | VPL (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.10 | 0.12 | VPL | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,127 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VGK and VPL hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026.
half
1% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VGK and VPL on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VGK and VPL do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VGK follows FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index and VPL follows FTSE Developed Asia Pacific All Cap Index.
- Holdings in common. 1% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Sep 30, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 VGK returned +10.4% and VPL +24.8% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 14.4 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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VGK
VGK tracks an index of European Stock. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +10.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% 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 1,245 positions, with the top ten at 19.0%. It sat 6.1% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
VPL
VPL tracks an index of Pacific Stock. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +24.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% 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 2,343 positions, with the top ten at 24.8%. It sat 7.2% below its high of Jun 22, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VGK or VPL?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VGK returned +10.4% and VPL +24.8%.
- Which is cheaper, VGK or VPL?
- VGK is cheaper, by 0.01 percentage points a year. That is about $1 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, VGK against VPL, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgk-vs-vpl
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VGK against VPL. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgk-vs-vpl
[VGK against VPL (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vgk-vs-vpl)
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