Average US Stock Market return
Over the last 10 years the US Stock Market has returned +15.0% a year (CAGR) with dividends reinvested — +13.2% from price alone, and +11.3% after inflation. Since 2002 the annualized figure is +9.8%. Every standard window, through Oct 7, 2026:
| Window | Since | Total return /yr | Price only /yr | Dividends /yr | After inflation /yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | Oct 7, 2025 | +16.93% | +15.61% | +1.32% | +13.88% |
| 3 years | Oct 9, 2023 | +22.74% | +21.18% | +1.56% | +19.44% |
| 5 years | Oct 7, 2021 | +12.48% | +10.93% | +1.55% | +8.32% |
| 10 years | Oct 7, 2016 | +14.99% | +13.18% | +1.82% | +11.34% |
| 15 years | Oct 10, 2011 | +14.96% | +13.00% | +1.96% | +12.02% |
| 20 years | Oct 9, 2006 | +11.09% | +9.12% | +1.97% | +8.33% |
| 25.3 years (all data) | Jun 20, 2001 | +9.78% | +7.87% | +1.91% | +7.08% |
Annualized (CAGR) from VTI 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 24 full calendar years, the market finished positive 83% of the time, with a best year of +33.4% (2013) and a worst of -37.0% (2008). The arithmetic mean of single years is +11.5% and the median +16.5% — but compounding through the crashes brings the realized annualized return to +9.8%. Almost no individual year lands near the average.
Related#
See each year individually on US Stock Market returns by year, or check this year's YTD so far.
More on US Stock Market
- Returns by year+14.6%
- Yearly charts+17.1%
- Trailing returns+16.9%
- YTD return+14.6%
- Return calculator$1,800
- Companies & weights3477
- Stock performance3477
- Dividend yield1.04%