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
   2026-01-28: 6950.22998047 USD
with:
   CBOE Volatility Index
   Cboe Indices: ^VIX
   2026-01-28: 16.61000061 USD

                S&P 500        CBOE Volatility Ind
               ^GSPC  Growth%        ^VIX  Growth%
           ---------- -------   ---------- -------
2026-01-28   6,950.23  100.00        16.61  100.00
2026-01-27   6,950.23  100.00        16.35   98.43
2026-01-26   6,950.23  100.00        16.15   97.23
2026-01-23   6,915.61   99.50        16.09   96.87
2026-01-22   6,913.35   99.47        15.64   94.16
2026-01-21   6,875.62   98.93        16.90  101.75
2026-01-20   6,796.86   97.79        20.09  120.95
2026-01-19   6,940.01   99.85        18.84  113.43
2026-01-16   6,940.01   99.85        15.86   95.48
2026-01-15   6,944.47   99.92        15.84   95.36
2026-01-14   6,926.60   99.66        16.75  100.84
2026-01-13   6,963.74  100.19        15.98   96.21
2026-01-12   6,977.27  100.39        15.12   91.03
2026-01-09   6,966.28  100.23        14.49   87.24
2026-01-08   6,921.46   99.59        15.45   93.02
2026-01-07   6,920.93   99.58        15.38   92.59
2026-01-06   6,944.82   99.92        14.75   88.80
2026-01-05   6,902.05   99.31        14.90   89.70
2026-01-02   6,858.47   98.68        14.51   87.36
2025-12-31   6,845.50   98.49        14.95   90.01
2025-12-28   6,929.94   99.71        13.60   81.88
2025-11-28   6,849.09   98.54        16.35   98.43
2025-10-28   6,890.89   99.15        16.42   98.86
2025-09-28   6,643.70   95.59        15.29   92.05
2025-08-28   6,501.86   93.55        14.43   86.88
2025-07-28   6,389.77   91.94        15.03   90.49
2025-06-28   6,173.07   88.82        16.32   98.25
2025-05-28   5,888.55   84.72        19.31  116.26
2025-04-28   5,528.75   79.55        25.15  151.41
2025-03-28   5,580.94   80.30        21.65  130.34
2025-02-28   5,954.50   85.67        19.63  118.18
2025-01-28   6,067.70   87.30        16.41   98.80
2024-01-28   4,890.97   70.37        17.95  108.07
2023-01-28   4,070.56   58.57        19.40  116.80
2022-01-28   4,431.85   63.77        24.83  149.49
2021-01-28   3,787.38   54.49        33.09  199.22
2020-01-28   3,276.24   47.14        18.84  113.43
2019-01-28   2,643.85   38.04        16.57   99.76
2018-01-28   2,872.87   41.33        13.54   81.52
2017-01-28   2,294.69   33.02        11.99   72.19
2016-01-28   1,893.36   27.24        20.20  121.61
2015-01-28   2,104.50   30.28        20.97  126.25
2014-01-28   1,859.45   26.75        18.41  110.84
2013-01-28   1,514.68   21.79        14.28   85.97
2012-01-28   1,365.68   19.65        19.44  117.04
2011-01-28   1,327.22   19.10        19.53  117.58
2010-01-28   1,104.49   15.89        24.62  148.22
2009-01-28     735.09   10.58        44.84  269.96
2008-01-28   1,330.63   19.15        26.20  157.74
2007-01-28   1,406.82   20.24        10.42   62.73
2006-01-28   1,280.66   18.43        12.95   77.97
2005-01-28   1,203.60   17.32        12.82   77.18
2004-01-28   1,144.94   16.47        16.63  100.12
2003-01-28     841.15   12.10        31.17  187.66
2002-01-28   1,106.73   15.92        21.09  126.97
2001-01-28   1,239.94   17.84        22.02  132.57
2000-01-28   1,366.42   19.66        24.95  150.21
1999-01-28   1,238.33   17.82        26.25  158.04
1998-01-28   1,049.34   15.10        21.47  129.26
1997-01-28     790.82   11.38        19.47  117.22
1996-01-28     640.43    9.21        12.53   75.44
1995-01-28     487.39    7.01        11.96   72.00
1994-01-28     467.14    6.72        10.63   64.00
1993-01-28     443.38    6.38        12.42   74.77
1992-01-28     412.70    5.94        17.40  104.76
1991-01-28     367.07    5.28        20.91  125.89
1990-01-28     331.89    4.78                     
1989-01-28     288.86    4.16                     
1988-01-28     267.82    3.85                     
1987-01-28     284.20    4.09                     
1986-01-28     226.92    3.26                     
1985-01-28     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