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
   2026-10-13: 7722.72021484 USD
with:
   CBOE Volatility Index
   Cboe Indices: ^VIX
   2026-10-13: 15.27000046 USD

                S&P 500        CBOE Volatility Ind
               ^GSPC  Growth%        ^VIX  Growth%
           ---------- -------   ---------- -------
2026-10-13   7,722.72  100.00        15.27  100.00
2026-10-12   7,722.72  100.00        15.21   99.61
2026-10-09   7,722.72  100.00        14.84   97.18
2026-10-08   7,722.72  100.00        15.41  100.92
2026-10-07   7,722.72  100.00        15.08   98.76
2026-10-06   7,722.72  100.00        15.01   98.30
2026-10-05   7,722.72  100.00        15.52  101.64
2026-10-02   7,722.72  100.00        15.31  100.26
2026-10-01   7,666.45   99.27        16.39  107.33
2026-09-30   7,651.54   99.08        16.34  107.01
2026-09-29   7,670.84   99.33        16.04  105.04
2026-09-28   7,683.69   99.49        16.07  105.24
2026-09-25   7,743.41  100.27        14.87   97.38
2026-09-24   7,704.13   99.76        15.67  102.62
2026-09-23   7,706.03   99.78        15.18   99.41
2026-09-22   7,764.64  100.54        14.21   93.06
2026-09-21   7,764.70  100.54        14.87   97.38
2026-09-18   7,650.50   99.06        14.81   96.99
2026-09-17   7,637.76   98.90        15.44  101.11
2026-09-16   7,551.81   97.79        17.71  115.98
2026-09-15   7,585.73   98.23        17.20  112.64
2026-09-13   7,656.98   99.15        15.84  103.73
2026-08-13   7,798.99  100.99        14.63   95.81
2026-07-13   7,515.34   97.31        17.16  112.38
2026-06-13   7,431.46   96.23        17.68  115.78
2026-05-13   7,444.25   96.39        17.87  117.03
2026-04-13   6,886.24   89.17        19.12  125.21
2026-03-13   6,632.19   85.88        27.19  178.06
2026-02-13   6,836.17   88.52        20.60  134.91
2026-01-13   6,963.74   90.17        15.98  104.65
2025-12-13   6,827.41   88.41        15.74  103.08
2025-11-13   6,737.49   87.24        20.00  130.98
2025-10-13   6,654.72   86.17        19.03  124.62
2024-10-13   5,815.03   75.30        17.95  117.55
2023-10-13   4,327.78   56.04        17.95  117.55
2022-10-13   3,669.91   47.52        25.88  169.48
2021-10-13   4,363.80   56.51        16.26  106.48
2020-10-13   3,511.93   45.48        38.02  248.98
2019-10-13   2,970.27   38.46        13.22   86.57
2018-10-13   2,767.13   35.83        21.23  139.03
2017-10-13   2,553.17   33.06        10.18   66.67
2016-10-13   2,132.55   27.61        17.06  111.72
2015-10-13   2,003.69   25.95        15.07   98.69
2014-10-13   2,067.56   26.77        14.03   91.88
2013-10-13   1,805.81   23.38        13.75   90.05
2012-10-13   1,416.18   18.34        18.60  121.81
2011-10-13   1,246.96   16.15        29.96  196.20
2010-10-13   1,180.55   15.29        21.20  138.83
2009-10-13   1,095.63   14.19        30.69  200.98
2008-10-13     896.24   11.61        59.89  392.21
2007-10-13   1,481.14   19.18        18.53  121.35
2006-10-13   1,400.63   18.14        11.10   72.69
2005-10-13   1,249.48   16.18        15.32  100.33
2004-10-13   1,173.82   15.20        16.27  106.55
2003-10-13   1,058.20   13.70        16.10  105.44
2002-10-13     936.31   12.12        31.14  203.93
2001-10-13   1,139.45   14.75        33.56  219.78
2000-10-13   1,314.95   17.03        23.63  154.75
1999-10-13   1,388.91   17.98        22.20  145.38
1998-10-13   1,163.63   15.07        28.05  183.69
1997-10-13     955.40   12.37        35.09  229.80
1996-10-13     757.02    9.80        18.11  118.60
1995-10-13     605.37    7.84        13.83   90.57
1994-10-13     453.69    5.87        14.56   95.35
1993-10-13     461.79    5.98        11.46   75.05
1992-10-13     431.35    5.59        16.15  105.76
1991-10-13     375.22    4.86        15.48  101.38
1990-10-13     322.22    4.17        30.04  196.73
1989-10-13     345.99    4.48                     
1988-10-13     273.70    3.54                     
1987-10-13     230.30    2.98                     
1986-10-13     249.22    3.23                     
1985-10-13     202.17    2.62                     
1984-12-01     181.18    2.35                     

⇒ What Is Dow Jones Industrial Average

⇐ Cboe Indices: ^VIX - CBOE Volatility Index

⇑ US Market Indices

⇑⇑ Market Indices