What Is the Relationship Between S&P 500 Index and the ^VIX Index?

The Relationship Between S&P 500 Index and the ^VIX Index can be summarized as:

• The ^VIX attempts to measure the magnitude of price movements of the S&P 500 over the coming 30 days.
• The more dramatic the price swings are in the index, the higher the ^VIX values.
• The less dramatic the price swings are in the index, the lower the ^VIX values.

Compare:
   S&P 500
   SNP: ^GSPC
   2026-03-13: 6632.18994141 USD
with:
   CBOE Volatility Index
   Cboe Indices: ^VIX
   2026-03-13: 27.19000053 USD

                S&P 500        CBOE Volatility Ind
               ^GSPC  Growth%        ^VIX  Growth%
           ---------- -------   ---------- -------
2026-03-13   6,632.19  100.00        27.19  100.00
2026-03-12   6,672.62  100.61        27.29  100.37
2026-03-11   6,775.80  102.17        24.23   89.11
2026-03-10   6,781.48  102.25        24.93   91.69
2026-03-09   6,795.99  102.47        25.50   93.78
2026-03-06   6,740.02  101.63        29.49  108.46
2026-03-05   6,830.71  102.99        23.75   87.35
2026-03-04   6,869.50  103.58        21.15   77.79
2026-03-03   6,816.63  102.78        23.57   86.69
2026-03-02   6,881.62  103.76        21.44   78.85
2026-02-27   6,878.88  103.72        19.86   73.04
2026-02-26   6,908.86  104.17        18.63   68.52
2026-02-25   6,946.13  104.73        17.93   65.94
2026-02-24   6,890.07  103.89        19.55   71.90
2026-02-23   6,837.75  103.10        21.01   77.27
2026-02-20   6,909.51  104.18        19.09   70.21
2026-02-19   6,861.89  103.46        20.23   74.40
2026-02-18   6,881.31  103.76        19.62   72.16
2026-02-17   6,843.22  103.18        20.29   74.62
2026-02-16   6,836.17  103.08        21.20   77.97
2026-02-13   6,836.17  103.08        20.60   75.76
2026-01-13   6,963.74  105.00        15.98   58.77
2025-12-13   6,827.41  102.94        15.74   57.89
2025-11-13   6,737.49  101.59        20.00   73.56
2025-10-13   6,654.72  100.34        19.03   69.99
2025-09-13   6,584.29   99.28        14.76   54.28
2025-08-13   6,466.58   97.50        14.49   53.29
2025-07-13   6,259.75   94.38        16.40   60.32
2025-06-13   5,976.97   90.12        20.82   76.57
2025-05-13   5,886.55   88.76        18.22   67.01
2025-04-13   5,363.36   80.87        37.56  138.14
2025-03-13   5,521.52   83.25        24.66   90.70
2024-03-13   5,165.31   77.88        17.95   66.02
2023-03-13   3,855.76   58.14        18.70   68.78
2022-03-13   4,204.31   63.39        20.56   75.62
2021-03-13   3,943.34   59.46        19.40   71.35
2020-03-13   2,711.02   40.88        53.54  196.91
2019-03-13   2,810.92   42.38        13.71   50.42
2018-03-13   2,765.31   41.70        19.97   73.45
2017-03-13   2,373.47   35.79        12.37   45.49
2016-03-13   2,022.19   30.49        13.95   51.31
2015-03-13   2,053.40   30.96        15.29   56.23
2014-03-13   1,923.57   29.00        13.88   51.05
2013-03-13   1,630.74   24.59        12.70   46.71
2012-03-13   1,310.33   19.76        15.50   57.01
2011-03-13   1,345.20   20.28        17.74   65.24
2010-03-13   1,089.41   16.43        17.59   64.69
2009-03-13     919.14   13.86        44.14  162.34
2008-03-13   1,400.38   21.11        25.61   94.19
2007-03-13   1,530.62   23.08        14.64   53.84
2006-03-13   1,270.09   19.15        11.39   41.89
2005-03-13   1,191.50   17.97        14.02   51.56
2004-03-13   1,120.68   16.90        16.74   61.57
2003-03-13     963.59   14.53        29.15  107.21
2002-03-13   1,067.14   16.09        17.40   63.99
2001-03-13   1,255.82   18.94        28.64  105.33
2000-03-13   1,420.60   21.42        24.11   88.67
1999-03-13   1,301.84   19.63        23.26   85.55
1998-03-13   1,090.82   16.45        24.22   89.08
1997-03-13     848.28   12.79        22.14   81.43
1996-03-13     669.12   10.09        18.88   69.44
1995-03-13     533.40    8.04        13.37   49.17
1994-03-13     456.50    6.88        20.45   75.21
1993-03-13     450.19    6.79        12.53   46.08
1992-03-13     415.35    6.26        16.18   59.51
1991-03-13     389.83    5.88        16.88   62.08
1990-03-13     361.23    5.45        19.73   72.56
1989-03-13     320.52    4.83                     
1988-03-13     262.16    3.95                     
1987-03-13     290.10    4.37                     
1986-03-13     247.35    3.73                     
1985-03-13     189.55    2.86                     
1984-12-01     181.18    2.73                     

⇒ What Is Dow Jones Industrial Average

⇐ Cboe Indices: ^VIX - CBOE Volatility Index

⇑ US Market Indices

⇑⇑ Market Indices