VBTLX’s worst drop since 2001 was 19%
Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Admiral (VBTLX) fell 19% from Aug 2020 to Oct 2022. It has not closed above that Aug 2020 peak since, 6.2 years later. Over the same years the S&P 500 fell as much as 55%.
That drop is milder than most. It ranks 102nd of the 109 mutual funds PortfolioAutopsy tracks, counted from the deepest.
Drawdown from the last high, 2001 to now
How VBTLX held up in each crash
| Crash | Years | VBTLX | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-com bust | 2000–02 | not trading yet | −47.5% |
| Financial crisis | 2007–09 | −5.4% | −55.2% |
| COVID crash | 2020 | −6.5% | −33.7% |
| 2022 rate shock | 2022 | −16.3% | −24.5% |
Each number is the deepest fall from a high inside that window, using daily prices with dividends reinvested.
See how VBTLX 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.
Open VBTLX in PortfolioAutopsyCheck my whole portfolioQuestions
What was VBTLX’s maximum drawdown?
VBTLX’s deepest fall since 2001 was 18.8%, from its high on August 4, 2020 to its low on October 24, 2022. The figure uses daily prices with dividends reinvested.
How long did VBTLX take to recover?
It has not recovered yet. As of October 13, 2026 it sits 5.4% below that Aug 2020 high.
Was VBTLX riskier than the S&P 500?
Over the same years, VBTLX’s worst drop was 18.8% against 55.2% for the S&P 500 (SPY), and its worst 12 months were −16.9% against −47.4%.
Compare with
Daily adjusted closes from Yahoo Finance, November 13, 2001 through October 13, 2026, dividends reinvested. Historical facts, not a forecast and not investment advice.