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
   2026-09-28: 7683.68994141 USD
with:
   CBOE Volatility Index
   Cboe Indices: ^VIX
   2026-09-28: 16.06999969 USD

                S&P 500        CBOE Volatility Ind
               ^GSPC  Growth%        ^VIX  Growth%
           ---------- -------   ---------- -------
2026-09-28   7,683.69  100.00        16.07  100.00
2026-09-25   7,743.41  100.78        14.87   92.53
2026-09-24   7,704.13  100.27        15.67   97.51
2026-09-23   7,706.03  100.29        15.18   94.46
2026-09-22   7,764.64  101.05        14.21   88.43
2026-09-21   7,764.70  101.05        14.87   92.53
2026-09-18   7,650.50   99.57        14.81   92.16
2026-09-17   7,637.76   99.40        15.44   96.08
2026-09-16   7,551.81   98.28        17.71  110.21
2026-09-15   7,585.73   98.73        17.20  107.03
2026-09-14   7,619.98   99.17        17.10  106.41
2026-09-11   7,656.98   99.65        15.84   98.57
2026-09-10   7,591.70   98.80        17.84  111.01
2026-09-09   7,636.36   99.38        16.46  102.43
2026-09-08   7,673.52   99.87        15.72   97.82
2026-09-07   7,718.60  100.45        15.30   95.21
2026-09-04   7,718.60  100.45        14.53   90.42
2026-09-03   7,747.71  100.83        14.32   89.11
2026-09-02   7,666.60   99.78        15.20   94.59
2026-09-01   7,631.47   99.32        16.34  101.68
2026-08-31   7,686.14  100.03        14.92   92.84
2026-08-28   7,730.99  100.62        14.51   90.29
2026-07-28   7,428.78   96.68        18.21  113.32
2026-06-28   7,354.02   95.71        18.41  114.56
2026-05-28   7,563.63   98.44        15.74   97.95
2026-04-28   7,138.80   92.91        17.83  110.95
2026-03-28   6,368.85   82.89        31.05  193.22
2026-02-28   6,878.88   89.53        19.86  123.58
2026-01-28   6,978.03   90.82        16.35  101.74
2025-12-28   6,929.94   90.19        13.60   84.63
2025-11-28   6,849.09   89.14        16.35  101.74
2025-10-28   6,890.89   89.68        16.42  102.18
2025-09-28   6,643.70   86.46        15.29   95.15
2024-09-28   5,738.17   74.68        17.95  111.70
2023-09-28   4,299.70   55.96        17.95  111.70
2022-09-28   3,719.04   48.40        31.62  196.76
2021-09-28   4,352.63   56.65        23.14  144.00
2020-09-28   3,351.60   43.62        26.37  164.09
2019-09-28   2,961.79   38.55        16.24  101.06
2018-09-28   2,913.98   37.92        12.12   75.42
2017-09-28   2,510.06   32.67         9.51   59.18
2016-09-28   2,171.37   28.26        13.29   82.70
2015-09-28   1,881.77   24.49        24.50  152.46
2014-09-28   2,067.56   26.91        16.31  101.49
2013-09-28   1,805.81   23.50        16.60  103.30
2012-09-28   1,416.18   18.43        15.73   97.88
2011-09-28   1,246.96   16.23        42.96  267.33
2010-09-28   1,180.55   15.36        23.70  147.48
2009-09-28   1,095.63   14.26        25.61  159.37
2008-09-28     896.24   11.66        39.39  245.12
2007-09-28   1,481.14   19.28        18.00  112.01
2006-09-28   1,400.63   18.23        11.98   74.55
2005-09-28   1,249.48   16.26        11.92   74.18
2004-09-28   1,173.82   15.28        13.34   83.01
2003-09-28   1,058.20   13.77        22.72  141.38
2002-09-28     936.31   12.19        39.69  246.98
2001-09-28   1,139.45   14.83        31.93  198.69
2000-09-28   1,314.95   17.11        20.57  128.00
1999-09-28   1,388.91   18.08        25.41  158.12
1998-09-28   1,163.63   15.14        40.95  254.82
1997-09-28     955.40   12.43        22.91  142.56
1996-09-28     757.02    9.85        16.95  105.48
1995-09-28     605.37    7.88        12.74   79.28
1994-09-28     453.69    5.90        14.28   88.86
1993-09-28     461.79    6.01        12.99   80.83
1992-09-28     431.35    5.61        14.28   88.86
1991-09-28     375.22    4.88        15.85   98.63
1990-09-28     322.22    4.19        29.11  181.14
1989-09-28     345.99    4.50                     
1988-09-28     273.70    3.56                     
1987-09-28     230.30    3.00                     
1986-09-28     249.22    3.24                     
1985-09-28     202.17    2.63                     
1984-12-01     181.18    2.36                     

⇒ What Is Dow Jones Industrial Average

⇐ Cboe Indices: ^VIX - CBOE Volatility Index

⇑ US Market Indices

⇑⇑ Market Indices