Average Russell 3000 return
Over the last 10 years the Russell 3000 has returned +14.8% a year (CAGR) with dividends reinvested — +13.1% from price alone, and +11.1% after inflation. Since 2001 the annualized figure is +8.6%. Every standard window, through Oct 5, 2026:
| Window | Since | Total return /yr | Price only /yr | Dividends /yr | After inflation /yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | Oct 6, 2025 | +16.00% | +14.91% | +1.08% | +12.97% |
| 3 years | Oct 6, 2023 | +22.66% | +21.35% | +1.31% | +19.36% |
| 5 years | Oct 5, 2021 | +12.65% | +11.30% | +1.35% | +8.49% |
| 10 years | Oct 5, 2016 | +14.77% | +13.13% | +1.63% | +11.12% |
| 15 years | Oct 6, 2011 | +14.97% | +13.17% | +1.80% | +12.03% |
| 20 years | Oct 5, 2006 | +10.83% | +9.02% | +1.80% | +8.07% |
| 26.4 years (all data) | May 26, 2000 | +8.63% | +6.92% | +1.71% | +5.92% |
Annualized (CAGR) from IWV 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 +33.0% (2013) and a worst of -37.2% (2008). The arithmetic mean of single years is +10.3% and the median +15.7% — 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 3000 returns by year, or check this year's YTD so far.
More on Russell 3000
- Returns by year+13.5%
- Yearly charts+17.0%
- Trailing returns+15.3%
- YTD return+13.5%
- Return calculator$1,708
- Companies & weights2567
- Stock performance2567
- Dividend yield0.98%