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
   2026-08-17: 7748.50000000 USD
with:
   CBOE Volatility Index
   Cboe Indices: ^VIX
   2026-08-17: 15.18999958 USD

                S&P 500        CBOE Volatility Ind
               ^GSPC  Growth%        ^VIX  Growth%
           ---------- -------   ---------- -------
2026-08-17   7,748.50  100.00        15.19  100.00
2026-08-14   7,748.50  100.00        14.25   93.81
2026-08-13   7,748.50  100.00        14.63   96.31
2026-08-12   7,748.50  100.00        14.55   95.79
2026-08-11   7,728.20   99.74        15.28  100.59
2026-08-10   7,753.11  100.06        15.46  101.78
2026-08-07   7,757.64  100.12        14.90   98.09
2026-08-06   7,709.96   99.50        15.15   99.74
2026-08-05   7,723.55   99.68        15.81  104.08
2026-08-04   7,736.52   99.85        16.50  108.62
2026-08-03   7,600.50   98.09        15.86  104.41
2026-07-31   7,489.72   96.66        15.99  105.27
2026-07-30   7,437.63   95.99        17.09  112.51
2026-07-29   7,316.15   94.42        20.66  136.01
2026-07-28   7,428.78   95.87        18.21  119.88
2026-07-27   7,413.18   95.67        18.67  122.91
2026-07-24   7,411.98   95.66        18.58  122.32
2026-07-23   7,408.30   95.61        18.70  123.11
2026-07-22   7,498.96   96.78        16.64  109.55
2026-07-21   7,509.20   96.91        17.05  112.24
2026-07-20   7,443.28   96.06        18.65  122.78
2026-07-17   7,457.69   96.25        18.77  123.57
2026-06-17   7,420.10   95.76        18.44  121.40
2026-05-17   7,408.50   95.61        18.43  121.33
2026-04-17   7,126.06   91.97        17.48  115.08
2026-03-17   6,716.09   86.68        22.37  147.27
2026-02-17   6,843.22   88.32        20.29  133.57
2026-01-17   6,940.01   89.57        15.86  104.41
2025-12-17   6,721.43   86.74        17.62  116.00
2025-11-17   6,672.41   86.11        22.38  147.33
2025-10-17   6,664.01   86.00        20.78  136.80
2025-09-17   6,600.35   85.18        15.72  103.49
2025-08-17   6,449.80   83.24        15.09   99.34
2024-08-17   5,554.25   71.68        17.95  118.17
2023-08-17   4,370.36   56.40        17.95  118.17
2022-08-17   4,274.04   55.16        25.87  170.31
2021-08-17   4,448.08   57.41        16.48  108.49
2020-08-17   3,381.99   43.65        26.41  173.86
2019-08-17   2,888.68   37.28        18.98  124.95
2018-08-17   2,850.13   36.78        12.86   84.66
2017-08-17   2,430.01   31.36        10.59   69.72
2016-08-17   2,182.22   28.16        13.42   88.35
2015-08-17   2,102.44   27.13        28.43  187.16
2014-08-17   2,003.37   25.85        12.09   79.59
2013-08-17   1,632.97   21.07        17.01  111.98
2012-08-17   1,406.58   18.15        17.47  115.01
2011-08-17   1,218.89   15.73        31.62  208.16
2010-08-17   1,049.33   13.54        26.05  171.49
2009-08-17   1,020.62   13.17        26.01  171.23
2008-08-17   1,282.83   16.56        20.65  135.94
2007-08-17   1,473.99   19.02        23.38  153.92
2006-08-17   1,303.82   16.83        12.31   81.04
2005-08-17   1,220.33   15.75        12.60   82.95
2004-08-17   1,104.24   14.25        15.29  100.66
2003-08-17   1,008.01   13.01        18.63  122.65
2002-08-17     916.07   11.82        32.64  214.88
2001-08-17   1,133.58   14.63        24.92  164.06
2000-08-17   1,517.68   19.59        16.84  110.86
1999-08-17   1,320.41   17.04        24.45  160.96
1998-08-17     957.28   12.35        44.28  291.51
1997-08-17     899.47   11.61        24.76  163.00
1996-08-17     651.99    8.41        17.01  111.98
1995-08-17     561.88    7.25        11.52   75.84
1994-08-17     475.49    6.14        11.97   78.80
1993-08-17     463.56    5.98        11.85   78.01
1992-08-17     414.03    5.34        13.58   89.40
1991-08-17     395.43    5.10        14.46   95.19
1990-08-17     322.56    4.16        29.90  196.84
1989-08-17     351.45    4.54                     
1988-08-17     261.52    3.38                     
1987-08-17     329.80    4.26                     
1986-08-17     252.93    3.26                     
1985-08-17     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