SLV’s worst drop since 2006 was 76%
iShares Silver Trust (SLV) fell 76% from Apr 2011 to Mar 2020. It took 14.4 years from that peak to close at a new high, in Oct 2025. Over the same years the S&P 500 fell as much as 55%.
That drop ranks 27th deepest among the 203 ETFs PortfolioAutopsy tracks.
Drawdown from the last high, 2006 to now
How SLV held up in each crash
| Crash | Years | SLV | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-com bust | 2000–02 | not trading yet | −47.5% |
| Financial crisis | 2007–09 | −57.1% | −55.2% |
| COVID crash | 2020 | −35.6% | −33.7% |
| 2022 rate shock | 2022 | −33.0% | −24.5% |
Each number is the deepest fall from a high inside that window, using daily prices with dividends reinvested.
See how SLV behaves inside your whole mix, with the worst 12 months, loss odds and crash replays. Free, no signup, and the math runs in your browser.
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What was SLV’s maximum drawdown?
SLV’s deepest fall since 2006 was 76.2%, from its high on April 28, 2011 to its low on March 18, 2020. The figure uses daily prices with dividends reinvested.
How long did SLV take to recover?
14.4 years. SLV first closed above its Apr 2011 high again on October 15, 2025.
Was SLV riskier than the S&P 500?
Over the same years, SLV’s worst drop was 76.2% against 55.2% for the S&P 500 (SPY), and its worst 12 months were −43.4% against −47.4%.
Compare with
Daily adjusted closes from Yahoo Finance, May 1, 2006 through October 13, 2026, dividends reinvested. Historical facts, not a forecast and not investment advice.