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
   2026-04-24: 7165.08007813 USD
with:
   CBOE Volatility Index
   Cboe Indices: ^VIX
   2026-04-24: 18.54999924 USD

                S&P 500        CBOE Volatility Ind
               ^GSPC  Growth%        ^VIX  Growth%
           ---------- -------   ---------- -------
2026-04-24   7,165.08  100.00        18.55  100.00
2026-04-23   7,108.40   99.21        19.31  104.10
2026-04-22   7,137.90   99.62        18.92  101.99
2026-04-21   7,064.01   98.59        19.50  105.12
2026-04-20   7,109.14   99.22        18.87  101.73
2026-04-17   7,126.06   99.46        17.48   94.23
2026-04-16   7,041.28   98.27        17.94   96.71
2026-04-15   7,022.95   98.02        18.17   97.95
2026-04-14   6,967.38   97.24        18.36   98.98
2026-04-13   6,886.24   96.11        19.12  103.07
2026-04-10   6,816.89   95.14        19.23  103.67
2026-04-09   6,824.66   95.25        19.49  105.07
2026-04-08   6,782.81   94.66        21.04  113.42
2026-04-07   6,616.85   92.35        25.78  138.98
2026-04-06   6,611.83   92.28        24.17  130.30
2026-04-02   6,582.69   91.87        23.87  128.68
2026-04-01   6,575.32   91.77        24.54  132.29
2026-03-31   6,528.52   91.12        25.25  136.12
2026-03-30   6,343.72   88.54        30.61  165.01
2026-03-27   6,368.85   88.89        31.05  167.39
2026-03-24   6,556.37   91.50        26.95  145.28
2026-02-24   6,890.07   96.16        19.55  105.39
2026-01-24   6,915.61   96.52        16.09   86.74
2025-12-24   6,932.05   96.75        13.47   72.61
2025-11-24   6,705.12   93.58        20.52  110.62
2025-10-24   6,791.69   94.79        16.37   88.25
2025-09-24   6,637.97   92.64        16.18   87.22
2025-08-24   6,466.91   90.26        14.22   76.66
2025-07-24   6,363.35   88.81        15.39   82.96
2025-06-24   6,092.18   85.03        17.48   94.23
2025-05-24   5,802.82   80.99        22.29  120.16
2025-04-24   5,484.77   76.55        26.47  142.70
2024-04-24   5,071.63   70.78        17.95   96.77
2023-04-24   4,137.04   57.74        15.78   85.07
2022-04-24   4,271.78   59.62        33.40  180.05
2021-04-24   4,180.17   58.34        18.61  100.32
2020-04-24   2,836.74   39.59        34.15  184.10
2019-04-24   2,927.25   40.85        13.12   70.73
2018-04-24   2,634.56   36.77        15.93   85.88
2017-04-24   2,374.15   33.14        10.82   58.33
2016-04-24   2,091.58   29.19        15.70   84.64
2015-04-24   2,117.69   29.56        14.55   78.44
2014-04-24   1,923.57   26.85        13.41   72.29
2013-04-24   1,630.74   22.76        13.52   72.88
2012-04-24   1,310.33   18.29        17.15   92.45
2011-04-24   1,345.20   18.77        14.75   79.51
2010-04-24   1,089.41   15.20        22.05  118.87
2009-04-24     919.14   12.83        36.50  196.77
2008-04-24   1,400.38   19.54        20.79  112.08
2007-04-24   1,530.62   21.36        14.22   76.66
2006-04-24   1,270.09   17.73        11.59   62.48
2005-04-24   1,191.50   16.63        15.31   82.53
2004-04-24   1,120.68   15.64        17.19   92.67
2003-04-24     963.59   13.45        21.21  114.34
2002-04-24   1,067.14   14.89        21.91  118.11
2001-04-24   1,255.82   17.53        25.48  137.36
2000-04-24   1,420.60   19.83        26.20  141.24
1999-04-24   1,301.84   18.17        25.07  135.15
1998-04-24   1,090.82   15.22        21.18  114.18
1997-04-24     848.28   11.84        20.06  108.14
1996-04-24     669.12    9.34        15.83   85.34
1995-04-24     533.40    7.44        11.75   63.34
1994-04-24     456.50    6.37        13.77   74.23
1993-04-24     450.19    6.28        12.42   66.95
1992-04-24     415.35    5.80        15.53   83.72
1991-04-24     389.83    5.44        18.24   98.33
1990-04-24     361.23    5.04        19.52  105.23
1989-04-24     320.52    4.47                     
1988-04-24     262.16    3.66                     
1987-04-24     290.10    4.05                     
1986-04-24     247.35    3.45                     
1985-04-24     189.55    2.65                     
1984-12-01     181.18    2.53                     

⇒ What Is Dow Jones Industrial Average

⇐ Cboe Indices: ^VIX - CBOE Volatility Index

⇑ US Market Indices

⇑⇑ Market Indices