Average Russell 1000 return
Over the last 10 years the Russell 1000 has returned +15.0% a year (CAGR) with dividends reinvested — +13.4% from price alone, and +11.4% after inflation. Since 2001 the annualized figure is +8.6%. 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 | +15.50% | +14.38% | +1.13% | +12.50% |
| 3 years | Oct 3, 2023 | +23.36% | +21.99% | +1.37% | +20.04% |
| 5 years | Oct 4, 2021 | +13.14% | +11.75% | +1.40% | +8.95% |
| 10 years | Oct 3, 2016 | +15.05% | +13.35% | +1.69% | +11.39% |
| 15 years | Oct 3, 2011 | +15.65% | +13.78% | +1.87% | +12.70% |
| 20 years | Oct 2, 2006 | +11.09% | +9.22% | +1.87% | +8.33% |
| 26.4 years (all data) | May 19, 2000 | +8.57% | +6.79% | +1.78% | +5.87% |
Annualized (CAGR) from IWB 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 25 full calendar years, the market finished positive 80% of the time, with a best year of +32.8% (2013) and a worst of -37.4% (2008). The arithmetic mean of single years is +10.4% and the median +15.4% — but compounding through the crashes brings the realized annualized return to +8.6%. Almost no individual year lands near the average.
Related#
See each year individually on Russell 1000 returns by year, or check this year's YTD so far.
More on Russell 1000
- Returns by year+12.5%
- Yearly charts+17.2%
- Trailing returns+14.4%
- YTD return+12.5%
- Return calculator$1,719
- Companies & weights1011
- Stock performance1011
- Dividend yield1.01%