Average Nifty 50 return
Over the last 10 years the Nifty 50 has returned +5.2% a year (CAGR) with dividends reinvested — +3.1% from price alone, and +1.9% after inflation. Since 2010 the annualized figure is +4.4%. 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 | -13.12% | -19.95% | +6.83% | -15.39% |
| 3 years | Oct 3, 2023 | -0.19% | -3.03% | +2.84% | -2.88% |
| 5 years | Oct 4, 2021 | -0.83% | -4.59% | +3.75% | -4.50% |
| 10 years | Oct 3, 2016 | +5.24% | +3.06% | +2.18% | +1.90% |
| 15 years | Oct 3, 2011 | +5.80% | +4.18% | +1.63% | +3.10% |
| 16.9 years (all data) | Nov 20, 2009 | +4.44% | +3.01% | +1.43% | +1.79% |
Annualized (CAGR) from INDY 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 16 full calendar years, the market finished positive 69% of the time, with a best year of +36.1% (2017) and a worst of -37.0% (2011). The arithmetic mean of single years is +7.4% and the median +10.0% — but compounding through the crashes brings the realized annualized return to +4.4%. Almost no individual year lands near the average.
Related#
See each year individually on Nifty 50 returns by year, or check this year's YTD so far.
More on Nifty 50
- Returns by year-16.9%
- Monthly returns+0.0%
- Weekly returns-2.3%
- Trailing returns-19.9%
- YTD return-16.9%
- Drawdown from high−28.5%