ETF Versus

VEA vs VWO

Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets Index Fund ETF Shares vs Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund

Last updated: 2026-04-10

VEA Vanguard

Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets Index Fund ETF Shares (VEA) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.78%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $217.2B ER: 0.03% Yield: 2.78% Since: Jul 20, 2007
VWO Vanguard

Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund (VWO) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to stocks in emerging market economies with higher growth potential. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.64%. Launched in 2005, the fund has a 21-year track record.

AUM: $114.9B ER: 0.06% Yield: 2.64% Since: Mar 4, 2005

Quick Verdict

VEA has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.06%), saving about $60 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, VEA has significantly outperformed with a 40.6% return vs 35.4%.

Key Metrics

Metric VEA VWO
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.06%
Dividend Yield 2.8% 2.6%
Fund Family Vanguard Vanguard
Category International Developed Emerging Markets

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

65 80 95 110 125 140 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
VEA +34.5%
VWO +9.5%

Performance Comparison

Period VEA VWO Difference
1 Month +2.70% +2.17% +0.53%
3 Months +4.18% +0.84% +3.34%
6 Months +13.10% +5.12% +7.98%
YTD +7.02% +3.34% +3.68%
1 Year +40.64% +35.35% +5.29%
3 Years +48.42% +39.47% +8.95%
5 Years +34.49% +9.46% +25.03%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period VEA Fees VWO Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $60 $120 $60
$10,000 20 years $258 $515 $257
$10,000 30 years $835 $1,664 $828
$50,000 10 years $299 $598 $299
$50,000 30 years $4,176 $8,318 $4,142
$100,000 30 years $8,352 $16,637 $8,285

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric VEA VWO
Annualized Volatility 16.5% 17.4%
Max Drawdown -32.3% -35.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.17 -0.07

Dividend Comparison

Metric VEA VWO
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.88 $1.45
Dividend Yield 2.78% 2.56%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 8 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

VEA Top Holdings

NameWeight
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/0059302.18%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML1.77%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006601.24%
Roche Holding AGROC1.L1.03%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN1.00%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA0.99%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN0.98%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN0.86%
Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/72030.80%

VWO Top Holdings

NameWeight
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/233012.71%
Tencent Holdings Limited!hkg/07003.44%
Alibaba Group Holding Limited!otc/BABAF2.74%
HDFC Bank Limited!nse/HDFCBANK0.93%
Reliance Industries Limited!nse/RELIANCE0.88%
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.!tpe/23170.78%
MediaTek Inc.!tpe/24540.76%
China Construction Bank Corporation!hkg/09390.75%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VEA if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose VEA if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

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