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
   2026-03-10: 6781.47998047 USD
with:
   CBOE Volatility Index
   Chicago Options: ^VIX
   2026-03-10: 24.93000031 USD

                S&P 500        CBOE Volatility Ind
               ^GSPC  Growth%        ^VIX  Growth%
           ---------- -------   ---------- -------
2026-03-10   6,781.48  100.00        24.93  100.00
2026-03-09   6,795.99  100.21        25.50  102.29
2026-03-06   6,740.02   99.39        29.49  118.29
2026-03-05   6,830.71  100.73        23.75   95.27
2026-03-04   6,869.50  101.30        21.15   84.84
2026-03-03   6,816.63  100.52        23.57   94.54
2026-03-02   6,881.62  101.48        21.44   86.00
2026-02-27   6,878.88  101.44        19.86   79.66
2026-02-26   6,908.86  101.88        18.63   74.73
2026-02-25   6,946.13  102.43        17.93   71.92
2026-02-24   6,890.07  101.60        19.55   78.42
2026-02-23   6,837.75  100.83        21.01   84.28
2026-02-20   6,909.51  101.89        19.09   76.57
2026-02-19   6,861.89  101.19        20.23   81.15
2026-02-18   6,881.31  101.47        19.62   78.70
2026-02-17   6,843.22  100.91        20.29   81.39
2026-02-16   6,836.17  100.81        21.20   85.04
2026-02-13   6,836.17  100.81        20.60   82.63
2026-02-12   6,832.76  100.76        20.82   83.51
2026-02-11   6,941.47  102.36        17.65   70.80
2026-02-10   6,941.81  102.36        17.79   71.36
2026-01-10   6,966.28  102.73        14.49   58.12
2025-12-10   6,886.68  101.55        15.77   63.26
2025-11-10   6,832.43  100.75        17.60   70.60
2025-10-10   6,552.51   96.62        21.66   86.88
2025-09-10   6,532.04   96.32        15.35   61.57
2025-08-10   6,389.45   94.22        15.15   60.77
2025-07-10   6,280.46   92.61        15.78   63.30
2025-06-10   6,038.81   89.05        16.95   67.99
2025-05-10   5,659.91   83.46        21.90   87.85
2025-04-10   5,268.05   77.68        40.72  163.34
2025-03-10   5,614.56   82.79        27.86  111.75
2024-03-10   5,123.69   75.55        17.95   72.00
2023-03-10   3,861.59   56.94        18.70   75.01
2022-03-10   4,259.52   62.81        20.56   82.47
2021-03-10   3,898.81   57.49        19.40   77.82
2020-03-10   2,882.23   42.50        53.54  214.76
2019-03-10   2,743.07   40.45        13.71   54.99
2018-03-10   2,786.57   41.09        19.97   80.10
2017-03-10   2,372.60   34.99        12.37   49.62
2016-03-10   1,989.57   29.34        13.95   55.96
2015-03-10   2,044.16   30.14        15.29   61.33
2014-03-10   1,923.57   28.37        13.88   55.68
2013-03-10   1,630.74   24.05        12.70   50.94
2012-03-10   1,310.33   19.32        15.50   62.17
2011-03-10   1,345.20   19.84        17.74   71.16
2010-03-10   1,089.41   16.06        17.59   70.56
2009-03-10     919.14   13.55        44.14  177.06
2008-03-10   1,400.38   20.65        25.61  102.73
2007-03-10   1,530.62   22.57        14.64   58.72
2006-03-10   1,270.09   18.73        11.39   45.69
2005-03-10   1,191.50   17.57        14.02   56.24
2004-03-10   1,120.68   16.53        16.74   67.15
2003-03-10     963.59   14.21        29.15  116.93
2002-03-10   1,067.14   15.74        17.40   69.80
2001-03-10   1,255.82   18.52        28.64  114.88
2000-03-10   1,420.60   20.95        24.11   96.71
1999-03-10   1,301.84   19.20        23.26   93.30
1998-03-10   1,090.82   16.09        24.22   97.15
1997-03-10     848.28   12.51        22.14   88.81
1996-03-10     669.12    9.87        18.88   75.73
1995-03-10     533.40    7.87        13.37   53.63
1994-03-10     456.50    6.73        20.45   82.03
1993-03-10     450.19    6.64        12.53   50.26
1992-03-10     415.35    6.12        16.18   64.90
1991-03-10     389.83    5.75        16.88   67.71
1990-03-10     361.23    5.33        19.73   79.14
1989-03-10     320.52    4.73                     
1988-03-10     262.16    3.87                     
1987-03-10     290.10    4.28                     
1986-03-10     247.35    3.65                     
1985-03-10     189.55    2.80                     
1984-12-01     181.18    2.67                     

⇒ What Is Dow Jones Industrial Average

⇐ Cboe Indices: ^VIX - CBOE Volatility Index

⇑ US Market Indices

⇑⇑ Market Indices