US Market Historical Analysis
Dow Jones Industrial Average
Average Return: 7.76%
Best Year: 81.66%
Worst Year: -52.67%
S&P 500
Average Return: 9.17%
Best Year: 45.02%
Worst Year: -38.49%
NASDAQ
Average Return: 14.77%
Best Year: 85.59%
Worst Year: -40.54%
| Year | Dow Jones | YoY | S&P 500 | YoY | NASDAQ | YoY | Notable Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 13.70% | 22.48 | 24.23% | 43.67 | 43.42% | 76.52 | AI boom; Inflation moderation; Fed pause |
| 2022 | -8.78% | -27.51 | -19.44% | -46.33 | -33.10% | -54.49 | Inflation surge; Fed aggressive rate hikes |
| 2021 | 18.73% | 11.48 | 26.89% | 10.63 | 21.39% | -22.25 | Vaccine rollout; Inflation concerns begin |
| 2020 | 7.25% | -15.09 | 16.26% | -12.62 | 43.64% | 8.41 | COVID-19 pandemic; Market crash and recovery |
| 2019 | 22.34% | 27.97 | 28.88% | 35.12 | 35.23% | 39.11 | Fed cuts rates; Trade tensions ease |
| 2018 | -5.63% | -30.71 | -6.24% | -25.66 | -3.88% | -32.12 | Trade war with China; Fed rate hikes |
| 2017 | 25.08% | 11.66 | 19.42% | 9.88 | 28.24% | 20.74 | Tax cuts; Strong global growth |
| 2016 | 13.42% | 15.65 | 9.54% | 10.27 | 7.50% | 1.77 | Brexit vote; Trump elected |
| 2015 | -2.23% | -9.75 | -0.73% | -12.12 | 5.73% | -7.67 | Fed ends zero interest rate policy |
| 2014 | 7.52% | -18.98 | 11.39% | -18.21 | 13.40% | -24.92 | Oil price collapse |
| 2013 | 26.50% | 19.24 | 29.60% | 16.19 | 38.32% | 22.41 | Fed begins tapering QE |
| 2012 | 7.26% | 1.73 | 13.41% | 13.41 | 15.91% | 17.71 | QE3 announced; Facebook IPO |
| 2011 | 5.53% | -5.49 | 0.00% | -12.78 | -1.80% | -18.71 | U.S. credit rating downgrade; European debt crisis |
| 2010 | 11.02% | -7.80 | 12.78% | -10.67 | 16.91% | -26.98 | Flash Crash; Dodd-Frank Act |
| 2009 | 18.82% | 52.66 | 23.45% | 61.94 | 43.89% | 84.43 | Market bottom in March; Recovery begins |
| 2008 | -33.84% | -40.27 | -38.49% | -42.02 | -40.54% | -50.35 | Financial Crisis; Lehman Brothers collapse |
| 2007 | 6.43% | -9.86 | 3.53% | -10.09 | 9.81% | 0.29 | Subprime mortgage crisis begins |
| 2006 | 16.29% | 16.90 | 13.62% | 10.62 | 9.52% | 8.15 | Housing market peaks |
| 2005 | -0.61% | -3.76 | 3.00% | -5.99 | 1.37% | -7.22 | Hurricane Katrina; Housing bubble grows |
| 2004 | 3.15% | -22.17 | 8.99% | -17.39 | 8.59% | -41.42 | Google IPO |
| 2003 | 25.32% | 42.08 | 26.38% | 49.75 | 50.01% | 81.54 | Iraq War begins; Tax cuts |
| 2002 | -16.76% | -9.66 | -23.37% | -10.33 | -31.53% | -10.48 | Corporate scandals (Enron |
| 2001 | -7.10% | -0.92 | -13.04% | -2.90 | -21.05% | 18.24 | 9/11 attacks; Tech crash continues |
| 2000 | -6.18% | -31.40 | -10.14% | -29.67 | -39.29% | -124.88 | Dot-com bubble bursts |
| 1999 | 25.22% | 9.12 | 19.53% | -7.14 | 85.59% | 45.96 | Height of dot-com bubble |
| 1998 | 16.10% | -6.54 | 26.67% | -4.34 | 39.63% | 17.99 | LTCM Crisis; Tech bubble inflates |
| 1997 | 22.64% | -3.37 | 31.01% | 10.75 | 21.64% | -1.07 | Asian Financial Crisis begins |
| 1996 | 26.01% | -7.44 | 20.26% | -13.85 | 22.71% | -17.21 | Dow crosses 6000 |
| 1995 | 33.45% | 31.31 | 34.11% | 35.65 | 39.92% | 43.12 | Tech boom begins; Windows 95 released |
| 1994 | 2.14% | -11.58 | -1.54% | -8.60 | -3.20% | -17.95 | Fed raises rates multiple times |
| 1993 | 13.72% | 9.55 | 7.06% | 2.60 | 14.75% | -0.70 | World Trade Center bombing |
| 1992 | 4.17% | -16.15 | 4.46% | -21.85 | 15.45% | -41.39 | Clinton elected |
| 1991 | 20.32% | 24.66 | 26.31% | 32.87 | 56.84% | 74.66 | Gulf War; Soviet Union dissolves |
| 1990 | -4.34% | -31.30 | -6.56% | -33.81 | -17.82% | -37.08 | Iraq invades Kuwait; Oil price spike |
| 1989 | 26.96% | 15.11 | 27.25% | 14.85 | 19.26% | 3.86 | Fall of Berlin Wall |
| 1988 | 11.85% | 9.59 | 12.40% | 19.30 | 15.40% | NASDAQ returns first recorded | |
| 1987 | 2.26% | -20.32 | -6.90% | -21.52 | - | Black Monday crash (October) | |
| 1986 | 22.58% | -5.08 | 14.62% | -11.71 | - | Tax Reform Act; Bull market continues | |
| 1985 | 27.66% | 31.40 | 26.33% | 24.93 | - | Plaza Accord signed | |
| 1984 | -3.74% | -24.04 | 1.40% | -15.87 | - | Reagan re-elected | |
| 1983 | 20.30% | 0.69 | 17.27% | 2.51 | - | Economic recovery strengthens | |
| 1982 | 19.61% | 28.84 | 14.76% | 24.49 | - | Recession ends; Bull market begins | |
| 1981 | -9.23% | -24.16 | -9.73% | -35.50 | - | Fed fights inflation; Interest rates peak | |
| 1980 | 14.93% | 10.74 | 25.77% | 13.46 | - | Record high interest rates; Reagan elected | |
| 1979 | 4.19% | 3.13 | 12.31% | 11.25 | - | Second oil crisis; Fed's Volcker appointed | |
| 1978 | 1.06% | 18.33 | 1.06% | 12.56 | - | Camp David Accords | |
| 1977 | -17.27% | -35.13 | -11.50% | -30.65 | - | Energy crisis continues | |
| 1976 | 17.86% | -20.46 | 19.15% | -12.40 | - | U.S. Bicentennial; Carter elected | |
| 1975 | 38.32% | 65.89 | 31.55% | 61.27 | - | End of Vietnam War; Recovery begins | |
| 1974 | -27.57% | -10.99 | -29.72% | -12.35 | - | Nixon resigns; Severe recession; Oil crisis continues | |
| 1973 | -16.58% | -31.16 | -17.37% | -33.00 | - | Oil crisis begins; Watergate scandal | |
| 1972 | 14.58% | 8.47 | 15.63% | 4.84 | - | Nixon visits China | |
| 1971 | 6.11% | 1.29 | 10.79% | 10.69 | - | Nixon ends gold standard; Wage and price controls | |
| 1970 | 4.82% | 20.01 | 0.10% | 11.46 | - | Recession; Vietnam War protests | |
| 1969 | -15.19% | -19.51 | -11.36% | -19.02 | - | Nixon presidency begins; Apollo 11 moon landing | |
| 1968 | 4.32% | -10.88 | 7.66% | -12.43 | - | MLK and RFK assassinations | |
| 1967 | 15.20% | 34.14 | 20.09% | 33.18 | - | Inflation concerns grow | |
| 1966 | -18.94% | -29.82 | -13.09% | -22.15 | - | Interest rates rise; Vietnam War costs increase | |
| 1965 | 10.88% | -3.69 | 9.06% | -3.94 | - | Vietnam War escalation | |
| 1964 | 14.57% | -2.58 | 13.00% | -5.89 | - | Gulf of Tonkin Resolution; Civil Rights Act | |
| 1963 | 17.15% | 27.96 | 18.89% | 30.70 | - | JFK assassination | |
| 1962 | -10.81% | -29.52 | -11.81% | -34.94 | - | Cuban Missile Crisis | |
| 1961 | 18.71% | 28.05 | 23.13% | 26.10 | - | Bay of Pigs invasion; Berlin Wall built | |
| 1960 | -9.34% | -25.77 | -2.97% | -11.45 | - | Recession; Kennedy elected | |
| 1959 | 16.43% | -17.59 | 8.48% | -29.58 | - | Hawaii becomes 50th state | |
| 1958 | 34.02% | 46.79 | 38.06% | 52.37 | - | Recession ends; NASA created | |
| 1957 | -12.77% | -15.11 | -14.31% | -16.93 | - | Recession; Sputnik launch | |
| 1956 | 2.34% | -18.50 | 2.62% | -23.78 | - | Suez Crisis | |
| 1955 | 20.84% | -23.19 | 26.40% | -18.62 | - | Strong economic growth; Auto industry boom | |
| 1954 | 44.03% | 47.80 | 45.02% | 51.64 | - | Recovery from recession; Dow passes 1929 peak | |
| 1953 | -3.77% | -12.17 | -6.62% | -18.41 | - | Korean War ends; Recession begins | |
| 1952 | 8.40% | -6.01 | 11.79% | -4.67 | - | Eisenhower elected president | |
| 1951 | 14.41% | -2.98 | 16.46% | -5.32 | - | Fed-Treasury Accord; Inflation concerns | |
| 1950 | 17.39% | 4.52 | 21.78% | - | Korean War begins | ||
| 1949 | 12.87% | 15.00 | - | - | NATO formed; Post-war recovery strengthens | ||
| 1948 | -2.13% | -4.36 | - | - | Berlin Blockade begins | ||
| 1947 | 2.23% | 10.30 | - | - | Marshall Plan announced; Cold War begins | ||
| 1946 | -8.07% | -34.67 | - | - | Post-war recession; Labor strikes | ||
| 1945 | 26.60% | 14.51 | - | - | World War II ends; Post-war boom begins | ||
| 1944 | 12.09% | -1.72 | - | - | D-Day; Bretton Woods Agreement | ||
| 1943 | 13.81% | 6.19 | - | - | Allied victories boost confidence | ||
| 1942 | 7.62% | 23.00 | - | - | War economy in full swing | ||
| 1941 | -15.38% | -2.66 | - | - | Pearl Harbor; U.S. enters WWII | ||
| 1940 | -12.72% | -9.80 | - | - | U.S. military buildup begins | ||
| 1939 | -2.92% | -30.98 | - | - | World War II begins in Europe | ||
| 1938 | 28.06% | 60.90 | - | - | Recovery from Roosevelt Recession | ||
| 1937 | -32.84% | -57.66 | - | - | Roosevelt Recession begins | ||
| 1936 | 24.82% | -13.77 | - | - | Roosevelt re-elected; Recovery continues | ||
| 1935 | 38.59% | 39.78 | - | - | Social Security Act passed | ||
| 1934 | -1.19% | -67.98 | - | - | Securities Exchange Act; SEC created | ||
| 1933 | 66.79% | 89.86 | - | - | New Deal begins; Banking Act; End of Prohibition | ||
| 1932 | -23.07% | 29.60 | - | - | Great Depression bottom; Roosevelt elected | ||
| 1931 | -52.67% | -18.90 | - | - | Global financial crisis; Britain abandons gold standard | ||
| 1930 | -33.77% | -16.60 | - | - | Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act; Great Depression deepens | ||
| 1929 | -17.17% | -65.39 | - | - | Stock Market Crash; Beginning of Great Depression | ||
| 1928 | 48.22% | 19.40 | - | - | Peak of the Roaring Twenties bull market | ||
| 1927 | 28.82% | 28.48 | - | - | Fed lowers interest rates; Increased market speculation | ||
| 1926 | 0.34% | -29.68 | - | - | Growing speculation in Florida real estate | ||
| 1925 | 30.02% | 3.44 | - | - | Bull market continues; Widespread stock speculation begins | ||
| 1924 | 26.58% | 29.87 | - | - | Immigration Act; Strong economic growth | ||
| 1923 | -3.29% | -25.00 | - | - | President Harding dies; Coolidge assumes presidency | ||
| 1922 | 21.71% | 8.99 | - | - | Roaring Twenties begin | ||
| 1921 | 12.72% | 45.62 | - | - | Recovery begins from post-war recession | ||
| 1920 | -32.90% | -63.40 | - | - | Post-war recession; Sharp deflationary period | ||
| 1919 | 30.50% | 19.99 | - | - | Post-war boom | ||
| 1918 | 10.51% | 32.22 | - | - | World War I ends | ||
| 1917 | -21.71% | -30.57 | - | - | U.S. enters World War I | ||
| 1916 | 8.86% | -72.80 | - | - | Increased war production | ||
| 1915 | 81.66% | 112.36 | - | - | Industrial boom from WWI production | ||
| 1914 | -30.70% | -20.40 | - | - | World War I begins; NYSE closes for 4 months | ||
| 1913 | -10.30% | -17.90 | - | - | Federal Reserve System created | ||
| 1912 | 7.60% | 7.20 | - | - | Presidential election year; Titanic sinking | ||
| 1911 | 0.40% | 18.26 | - | - | Standard Oil breakup | ||
| 1910 | -17.86% | -32.92 | - | - | Sherman Antitrust Act enforcement intensifies | ||
| 1909 | 15.06% | -31.58 | - | - | First federal corporate tax implemented | ||
| 1908 | 46.64% | 84.37 | - | - | Recovery from Panic of 1907 | ||
| 1907 | -37.73% | -35.86 | - | - | Panic of 1907; Major banking crisis | ||
| 1906 | -1.87% | -40.04 | - | - | San Francisco Earthquake; Banking Crisis | ||
| 1905 | 38.17% | -3.56 | - | - | Strong industrial growth period | ||
| 1904 | 41.73% | 65.36 | - | - | Roosevelt's "Square Deal" policies boost market confidence | ||
| 1903 | -23.63% | -24.07 | - | - | Rich Man's Panic; Multiple bank failures | ||
| 1902 | 0.44% | -19.17 | - | - | Coal Strike; First major antitrust suits | ||
| 1901 | 19.61% | 12.04 | - | - | Assassination of President McKinley; Formation of U.S. Steel | ||
| 1900 | 7.57% | -5.28 | - | - | Gold Standard Act passed | ||
| 1899 | 12.85% | 18.30 | - | - | Period of industrial growth and consolidation | ||
| 1898 | -5.45% | -27.86 | - | - | Spanish-American War | ||
| 1897 | 22.41% | 21.40 | - | - | Economic recovery from the Panic of 1893 | ||
| 1896 | 1.01% | - | - | First published year of the Dow Jones Industrial Average |