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
   2026-08-12: 7748.50000000 USD
with:
   CBOE Volatility Index
   Cboe Indices: ^VIX
   2026-08-12: 14.89999962 USD

                S&P 500        CBOE Volatility Ind
               ^GSPC  Growth%        ^VIX  Growth%
           ---------- -------   ---------- -------
2026-08-12   7,748.50  100.00        14.90  100.00
2026-08-11   7,728.20   99.74        14.90  100.00
2026-08-10   7,753.11  100.06        14.90  100.00
2026-08-07   7,757.64  100.12        14.90  100.00
2026-08-06   7,709.96   99.50        15.15  101.68
2026-08-05   7,723.55   99.68        15.81  106.11
2026-08-04   7,736.52   99.85        16.50  110.74
2026-08-03   7,600.50   98.09        15.86  106.44
2026-07-31   7,489.72   96.66        15.99  107.32
2026-07-30   7,437.63   95.99        17.09  114.70
2026-07-29   7,316.15   94.42        20.66  138.66
2026-07-28   7,428.78   95.87        18.21  122.21
2026-07-27   7,413.18   95.67        18.67  125.30
2026-07-24   7,411.98   95.66        18.58  124.70
2026-07-23   7,408.30   95.61        18.70  125.50
2026-07-22   7,498.96   96.78        16.64  111.68
2026-07-21   7,509.20   96.91        17.05  114.43
2026-07-20   7,443.28   96.06        18.65  125.17
2026-07-17   7,457.69   96.25        18.77  125.97
2026-07-16   7,533.77   97.23        16.73  112.28
2026-07-15   7,572.40   97.73        15.67  105.17
2026-07-12   7,575.39   97.77        15.03  100.87
2026-06-12   7,431.46   95.91        17.68  118.66
2026-05-12   7,400.96   95.51        17.99  120.74
2026-04-12   6,816.89   87.98        19.23  129.06
2026-03-12   6,672.62   86.11        27.29  183.15
2026-02-12   6,832.76   88.18        20.82  139.73
2026-01-12   6,977.27   90.05        15.12  101.48
2025-12-12   6,827.41   88.11        15.74  105.64
2025-11-12   6,850.92   88.42        17.51  117.52
2025-10-12   6,552.51   84.56        21.66  145.37
2025-09-12   6,584.29   84.98        14.76   99.06
2025-08-12   6,445.76   83.19        14.73   98.86
2024-08-12   5,344.39   68.97        17.95  120.47
2023-08-12   4,464.05   57.61        17.95  120.47
2022-08-12   4,280.15   55.24        25.87  173.62
2021-08-12   4,460.83   57.57        16.48  110.60
2020-08-12   3,380.35   43.63        26.41  177.25
2019-08-12   2,883.75   37.22        18.98  127.38
2018-08-12   2,833.28   36.57        12.86   86.31
2017-08-12   2,441.32   31.51        10.59   71.07
2016-08-12   2,184.05   28.19        13.42   90.07
2015-08-12   2,086.05   26.92        28.43  190.81
2014-08-12   2,003.37   25.85        12.09   81.14
2013-08-12   1,632.97   21.07        17.01  114.16
2012-08-12   1,406.58   18.15        17.47  117.25
2011-08-12   1,218.89   15.73        31.62  212.21
2010-08-12   1,049.33   13.54        26.05  174.83
2009-08-12   1,020.62   13.17        26.01  174.56
2008-08-12   1,282.83   16.56        20.65  138.59
2007-08-12   1,473.99   19.02        23.38  156.91
2006-08-12   1,303.82   16.83        12.31   82.62
2005-08-12   1,220.33   15.75        12.60   84.56
2004-08-12   1,104.24   14.25        15.29  102.62
2003-08-12   1,008.01   13.01        18.63  125.03
2002-08-12     916.07   11.82        32.64  219.06
2001-08-12   1,133.58   14.63        24.92  167.25
2000-08-12   1,517.68   19.59        16.84  113.02
1999-08-12   1,320.41   17.04        24.45  164.09
1998-08-12     957.28   12.35        44.28  297.18
1997-08-12     899.47   11.61        24.76  166.17
1996-08-12     651.99    8.41        17.01  114.16
1995-08-12     561.88    7.25        11.52   77.32
1994-08-12     475.49    6.14        11.97   80.34
1993-08-12     463.56    5.98        11.85   79.53
1992-08-12     414.03    5.34        13.58   91.14
1991-08-12     395.43    5.10        14.46   97.05
1990-08-12     322.56    4.16        29.90  200.67
1989-08-12     351.45    4.54                     
1988-08-12     261.52    3.38                     
1987-08-12     329.80    4.26                     
1986-08-12     252.93    3.26                     
1985-08-12     188.63    2.43                     
1984-12-01     181.18    2.34                     

⇒ What Is Dow Jones Industrial Average

⇐ Cboe Indices: ^VIX - CBOE Volatility Index

⇑ US Market Indices

⇑⇑ Market Indices