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
   2026-03-24: 6556.37011719 USD
with:
   CBOE Volatility Index
   Cboe Indices: ^VIX
   2026-03-24: 26.95000076 USD

                S&P 500        CBOE Volatility Ind
               ^GSPC  Growth%        ^VIX  Growth%
           ---------- -------   ---------- -------
2026-03-24   6,556.37  100.00        26.95  100.00
2026-03-23   6,581.00  100.38        26.15   97.03
2026-03-20   6,506.48   99.24        26.78   99.37
2026-03-19   6,606.49  100.76        24.06   89.28
2026-03-18   6,624.70  101.04        25.09   93.10
2026-03-17   6,716.09  102.44        22.37   83.01
2026-03-16   6,699.38  102.18        23.51   87.24
2026-03-13   6,632.19  101.16        27.19  100.89
2026-03-12   6,672.62  101.77        27.29  101.26
2026-03-11   6,775.80  103.35        24.23   89.91
2026-03-10   6,781.48  103.43        24.93   92.50
2026-03-09   6,795.99  103.65        25.50   94.62
2026-03-06   6,740.02  102.80        29.49  109.42
2026-03-05   6,830.71  104.18        23.75   88.13
2026-03-04   6,869.50  104.78        21.15   78.48
2026-03-03   6,816.63  103.97        23.57   87.46
2026-03-02   6,881.62  104.96        21.44   79.55
2026-02-27   6,878.88  104.92        19.86   73.69
2026-02-26   6,908.86  105.38        18.63   69.13
2026-02-25   6,946.13  105.94        17.93   66.53
2026-02-24   6,890.07  105.09        19.55   72.54
2026-01-24   6,915.61  105.48        16.09   59.70
2025-12-24   6,932.05  105.73        13.47   49.98
2025-11-24   6,705.12  102.27        20.52   76.14
2025-10-24   6,791.69  103.59        16.37   60.74
2025-09-24   6,637.97  101.24        16.18   60.04
2025-08-24   6,466.91   98.64        14.22   52.76
2025-07-24   6,363.35   97.06        15.39   57.11
2025-06-24   6,092.18   92.92        17.48   64.86
2025-05-24   5,802.82   88.51        22.29   82.71
2025-04-24   5,484.77   83.66        26.47   98.22
2025-03-24   5,767.57   87.97        17.48   64.86
2024-03-24   5,234.18   79.83        17.95   66.60
2023-03-24   3,970.99   60.57        18.70   69.39
2022-03-24   4,520.16   68.94        20.56   76.29
2021-03-24   3,889.14   59.32        19.40   71.99
2020-03-24   2,447.33   37.33        53.54  198.66
2019-03-24   2,800.71   42.72        13.71   50.87
2018-03-24   2,588.26   39.48        19.97   74.10
2017-03-24   2,343.98   35.75        12.37   45.90
2016-03-24   2,035.94   31.05        13.95   51.76
2015-03-24   2,091.50   31.90        15.29   56.73
2014-03-24   1,923.57   29.34        13.88   51.50
2013-03-24   1,630.74   24.87        12.70   47.12
2012-03-24   1,310.33   19.99        15.50   57.51
2011-03-24   1,345.20   20.52        17.74   65.83
2010-03-24   1,089.41   16.62        17.59   65.27
2009-03-24     919.14   14.02        44.14  163.78
2008-03-24   1,400.38   21.36        25.61   95.03
2007-03-24   1,530.62   23.35        14.64   54.32
2006-03-24   1,270.09   19.37        11.39   42.26
2005-03-24   1,191.50   18.17        14.02   52.02
2004-03-24   1,120.68   17.09        16.74   62.12
2003-03-24     963.59   14.70        29.15  108.16
2002-03-24   1,067.14   16.28        17.40   64.56
2001-03-24   1,255.82   19.15        28.64  106.27
2000-03-24   1,420.60   21.67        24.11   89.46
1999-03-24   1,301.84   19.86        23.26   86.31
1998-03-24   1,090.82   16.64        24.22   89.87
1997-03-24     848.28   12.94        22.14   82.15
1996-03-24     669.12   10.21        18.88   70.06
1995-03-24     533.40    8.14        13.37   49.61
1994-03-24     456.50    6.96        20.45   75.88
1993-03-24     450.19    6.87        12.53   46.49
1992-03-24     415.35    6.34        16.18   60.04
1991-03-24     389.83    5.95        16.88   62.63
1990-03-24     361.23    5.51        19.73   73.21
1989-03-24     320.52    4.89                     
1988-03-24     262.16    4.00                     
1987-03-24     290.10    4.42                     
1986-03-24     247.35    3.77                     
1985-03-24     189.55    2.89                     
1984-12-01     181.18    2.76                     

⇒ What Is Dow Jones Industrial Average

⇐ Cboe Indices: ^VIX - CBOE Volatility Index

⇑ US Market Indices

⇑⇑ Market Indices