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
   2026-02-06: 6932.29980469 USD
with:
   CBOE Volatility Index
   Cboe Indices: ^VIX
   2026-02-06: 20.37000084 USD

                S&P 500        CBOE Volatility Ind
               ^GSPC  Growth%        ^VIX  Growth%
           ---------- -------   ---------- -------
2026-02-06   6,932.30  100.00        20.37  100.00
2026-02-05   6,798.40   98.07        21.77  106.87
2026-02-04   6,882.72   99.28        18.64   91.51
2026-02-03   6,917.81   99.79        18.00   88.37
2026-02-02   6,976.44  100.64        16.34   80.22
2026-01-30   6,939.03  100.10        17.44   85.62
2026-01-29   6,969.01  100.53        16.88   82.87
2026-01-28   6,978.03  100.66        16.35   80.27
2026-01-27   6,978.60  100.67        16.35   80.27
2026-01-26   6,950.23  100.26        16.15   79.28
2026-01-23   6,915.61   99.76        16.09   78.99
2026-01-22   6,913.35   99.73        15.64   76.78
2026-01-21   6,875.62   99.18        16.90   82.97
2026-01-20   6,796.86   98.05        20.09   98.63
2026-01-19   6,940.01  100.11        18.84   92.49
2026-01-16   6,940.01  100.11        15.86   77.86
2026-01-15   6,944.47  100.18        15.84   77.76
2026-01-14   6,926.60   99.92        16.75   82.23
2026-01-13   6,963.74  100.45        15.98   78.45
2026-01-12   6,977.27  100.65        15.12   74.23
2026-01-09   6,966.28  100.49        14.49   71.13
2026-01-06   6,944.82  100.18        14.75   72.41
2025-12-06   6,870.40   99.11        15.41   75.65
2025-11-06   6,720.32   96.94        19.50   95.73
2025-10-06   6,740.28   97.23        16.37   80.36
2025-09-06   6,481.50   93.50        15.18   74.52
2025-08-06   6,345.06   91.53        16.77   82.33
2025-07-06   6,279.35   90.58        17.48   85.81
2025-06-06   6,000.36   86.56        16.77   82.33
2025-05-06   5,606.91   80.88        24.76  121.55
2025-04-06   5,074.08   73.19        45.31  222.43
2025-03-06   5,738.52   82.78        24.87  122.09
2025-02-06   6,083.57   87.76        15.50   76.09
2024-02-06   4,954.23   71.47        17.95   88.12
2023-02-06   4,111.08   59.30        20.70  101.62
2022-02-06   4,500.53   64.92        30.15  148.01
2021-02-06   3,886.83   56.07        27.95  137.21
2020-02-06   3,345.78   48.26        40.11  196.91
2019-02-06   2,731.61   39.40        14.78   72.56
2018-02-06   2,695.14   38.88        19.85   97.45
2017-02-06   2,292.56   33.07        12.92   63.43
2016-02-06   1,880.05   27.12        20.55  100.88
2015-02-06   2,055.47   29.65        13.34   65.49
2014-02-06   1,859.45   26.82        14.00   68.73
2013-02-06   1,514.68   21.85        15.51   76.14
2012-02-06   1,365.68   19.70        18.43   90.48
2011-02-06   1,327.22   19.15        18.35   90.08
2010-02-06   1,104.49   15.93        19.50   95.73
2009-02-06     735.09   10.60        46.35  227.54
2008-02-06   1,330.63   19.19        26.54  130.29
2007-02-06   1,406.82   20.29        15.42   75.70
2006-02-06   1,280.66   18.47        12.34   60.58
2005-02-06   1,203.60   17.36        12.08   59.30
2004-02-06   1,144.94   16.52        14.55   71.43
2003-02-06     841.15   12.13        29.63  145.46
2002-02-06   1,106.73   15.96        21.59  105.99
2001-02-06   1,239.94   17.89        28.35  139.18
2000-02-06   1,366.42   19.71        23.37  114.73
1999-02-06   1,238.33   17.86        27.88  136.87
1998-02-06   1,049.34   15.14        18.55   91.07
1997-02-06     790.82   11.41        21.10  103.58
1996-02-06     640.43    9.24        17.04   83.65
1995-02-06     487.39    7.03        11.75   57.68
1994-02-06     467.14    6.74        14.87   73.00
1993-02-06     443.38    6.40        13.16   64.60
1992-02-06     412.70    5.95        16.68   81.89
1991-02-06     367.07    5.30        21.23  104.22
1990-02-06     331.89    4.79        21.99  107.95
1989-02-06     288.86    4.17                     
1988-02-06     267.82    3.86                     
1987-02-06     284.20    4.10                     
1986-02-06     226.92    3.27                     
1985-02-06     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