Average DAX return
Over the last 10 years the DAX has returned +8.6% a year (CAGR) with dividends reinvested — +5.9% from price alone, and +5.1% after inflation. Since 2015 the annualized figure is +7.1%. Every standard window, through Oct 2, 2026:
| Window | Since | Total return /yr | Price only /yr | Dividends /yr | After inflation /yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | Oct 2, 2025 | -1.48% | -3.57% | +2.09% | -4.05% |
| 3 years | Oct 3, 2023 | +20.95% | +18.49% | +2.45% | +17.69% |
| 5 years | Oct 4, 2021 | +9.45% | +6.79% | +2.66% | +5.40% |
| 10 years | Oct 3, 2016 | +8.58% | +5.89% | +2.69% | +5.13% |
| 11.9 years (all data) | Nov 10, 2014 | +7.10% | +4.71% | +2.39% | +4.03% |
Annualized (CAGR) from DAX daily closes at exact anniversary dates; inflation adjustment uses CPI (CPIAUCSL). The dividends column is the reinvested-dividend contribution — total return minus price return.
The years behind the average#
“Average” hides how lumpy the ride is: across 11 full calendar years, the market finished positive 73% of the time, with a best year of +39.0% (2025) and a worst of -22.9% (2018). The arithmetic mean of single years is +9.2% and the median +10.5% — but compounding through the crashes brings the realized annualized return to +7.1%. Almost no individual year lands near the average.
Related#
See each year individually on DAX returns by year, or check this year's YTD so far.
More on DAX
- Returns by year-3.5%
- Monthly returns+0.1%
- Weekly returns-2.3%
- Trailing returns-3.6%
- YTD return-3.5%
- Drawdown from high−7.7%