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
   2026-01-26: 6950.22998047 USD
with:
   CBOE Volatility Index
   Cboe Indices: ^VIX
   2026-01-26: 16.09000015 USD

                S&P 500        CBOE Volatility Ind
               ^GSPC  Growth%        ^VIX  Growth%
           ---------- -------   ---------- -------
2026-01-26   6,950.23  100.00        16.09  100.00
2026-01-23   6,915.61   99.50        16.09  100.00
2026-01-22   6,913.35   99.47        15.64   97.20
2026-01-21   6,875.62   98.93        16.90  105.03
2026-01-20   6,796.86   97.79        20.09  124.86
2026-01-19   6,940.01   99.85        18.84  117.09
2026-01-16   6,940.01   99.85        15.86   98.57
2026-01-15   6,944.47   99.92        15.84   98.45
2026-01-14   6,926.60   99.66        16.75  104.10
2026-01-13   6,963.74  100.19        15.98   99.32
2026-01-12   6,977.27  100.39        15.12   93.97
2026-01-09   6,966.28  100.23        14.49   90.06
2026-01-08   6,921.46   99.59        15.45   96.02
2026-01-07   6,920.93   99.58        15.38   95.59
2026-01-06   6,944.82   99.92        14.75   91.67
2026-01-05   6,902.05   99.31        14.90   92.60
2026-01-02   6,858.47   98.68        14.51   90.18
2025-12-31   6,845.50   98.49        14.95   92.91
2025-12-30   6,896.24   99.22        14.33   89.06
2025-12-29   6,905.74   99.36        14.20   88.25
2025-12-26   6,929.94   99.71        13.60   84.52
2025-11-26   6,812.61   98.02        17.19  106.84
2025-10-26   6,791.69   97.72        16.37  101.74
2025-09-26   6,643.70   95.59        15.29   95.03
2025-08-26   6,465.94   93.03        14.62   90.86
2025-07-26   6,388.64   91.92        14.93   92.79
2025-06-26   6,141.02   88.36        16.59  103.11
2025-05-26   5,802.82   83.49        22.29  138.53
2025-04-26   5,525.21   79.50        24.84  154.38
2025-03-26   5,712.20   82.19        18.33  113.92
2025-02-26   5,956.06   85.70        19.10  118.71
2025-01-26   6,101.24   87.78        14.85   92.29
2024-01-26   4,890.97   70.37        17.95  111.56
2023-01-26   4,060.43   58.42        19.40  120.57
2022-01-26   4,349.93   62.59        24.83  154.32
2021-01-26   3,849.62   55.39        33.09  205.66
2020-01-26   3,295.47   47.42        18.84  117.09
2019-01-26   2,664.76   38.34        16.57  102.98
2018-01-26   2,872.87   41.33        13.54   84.15
2017-01-26   2,296.68   33.04        11.99   74.52
2016-01-26   1,903.63   27.39        20.20  125.54
2015-01-26   2,104.50   30.28        20.97  130.33
2014-01-26   1,859.45   26.75        18.41  114.42
2013-01-26   1,514.68   21.79        14.28   88.75
2012-01-26   1,365.68   19.65        19.44  120.82
2011-01-26   1,327.22   19.10        19.53  121.38
2010-01-26   1,104.49   15.89        24.62  153.01
2009-01-26     735.09   10.58        44.84  278.68
2008-01-26   1,330.63   19.15        26.20  162.83
2007-01-26   1,406.82   20.24        10.42   64.76
2006-01-26   1,280.66   18.43        12.95   80.48
2005-01-26   1,203.60   17.32        12.82   79.68
2004-01-26   1,144.94   16.47        16.63  103.36
2003-01-26     841.15   12.10        31.17  193.72
2002-01-26   1,106.73   15.92        21.09  131.08
2001-01-26   1,239.94   17.84        22.02  136.86
2000-01-26   1,366.42   19.66        24.95  155.07
1999-01-26   1,238.33   17.82        26.25  163.14
1998-01-26   1,049.34   15.10        21.47  133.44
1997-01-26     790.82   11.38        19.47  121.01
1996-01-26     640.43    9.21        12.53   77.87
1995-01-26     487.39    7.01        11.96   74.33
1994-01-26     467.14    6.72        10.63   66.07
1993-01-26     443.38    6.38        12.42   77.19
1992-01-26     412.70    5.94        17.40  108.14
1991-01-26     367.07    5.28        20.91  129.96
1990-01-26     331.89    4.78                     
1989-01-26     288.86    4.16                     
1988-01-26     267.82    3.85                     
1987-01-26     284.20    4.09                     
1986-01-26     226.92    3.26                     
1985-01-26     181.18    2.61                     
1984-12-01     181.18    2.61                     

⇒ What Is Dow Jones Industrial Average

⇐ Cboe Indices: ^VIX - CBOE Volatility Index

⇑ US Market Indices

⇑⇑ Market Indices