VGK’s worst drop since 2005 was 64%
Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK) fell 64% from Oct 2007 to Mar 2009. It took 6.4 years from that peak to close at a new high, in Apr 2014. Over the same years the S&P 500 fell as much as 55%.
That drop ranks 49th deepest among the 203 ETFs PortfolioAutopsy tracks.
Drawdown from the last high, 2005 to now
How VGK held up in each crash
| Crash | Years | VGK | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-com bust | 2000–02 | not trading yet | −47.5% |
| Financial crisis | 2007–09 | −63.6% | −55.2% |
| COVID crash | 2020 | −37.2% | −33.7% |
| 2022 rate shock | 2022 | −32.3% | −24.5% |
Each number is the deepest fall from a high inside that window, using daily prices with dividends reinvested.
See how VGK 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 VGK in PortfolioAutopsyCheck my whole portfolioQuestions
What was VGK’s maximum drawdown?
VGK’s deepest fall since 2005 was 63.6%, from its high on October 31, 2007 to its low on March 9, 2009. The figure uses daily prices with dividends reinvested.
How long did VGK take to recover?
6.4 years. VGK first closed above its Oct 2007 high again on April 9, 2014.
Was VGK riskier than the S&P 500?
Over the same years, VGK’s worst drop was 63.6% against 55.2% for the S&P 500 (SPY), and its worst 12 months were −56.6% against −47.4%.
Compare with
Daily adjusted closes from Yahoo Finance, March 11, 2005 through October 13, 2026, dividends reinvested. Historical facts, not a forecast and not investment advice.