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
   2026-03-26: 6556.37011719 USD
with:
   CBOE Volatility Index
   Cboe Indices: ^VIX
   2026-03-26: 27.44000053 USD

                S&P 500        CBOE Volatility Ind
               ^GSPC  Growth%        ^VIX  Growth%
           ---------- -------   ---------- -------
2026-03-26   6,556.37  100.00        27.44  100.00
2026-03-25   6,556.37  100.00        25.33   92.31
2026-03-24   6,556.37  100.00        26.95   98.21
2026-03-23   6,581.00  100.38        26.15   95.30
2026-03-20   6,506.48   99.24        26.78   97.59
2026-03-19   6,606.49  100.76        24.06   87.68
2026-03-18   6,624.70  101.04        25.09   91.44
2026-03-17   6,716.09  102.44        22.37   81.52
2026-03-16   6,699.38  102.18        23.51   85.68
2026-03-13   6,632.19  101.16        27.19   99.09
2026-03-12   6,672.62  101.77        27.29   99.45
2026-03-11   6,775.80  103.35        24.23   88.30
2026-03-10   6,781.48  103.43        24.93   90.85
2026-03-09   6,795.99  103.65        25.50   92.93
2026-03-06   6,740.02  102.80        29.49  107.47
2026-03-05   6,830.71  104.18        23.75   86.55
2026-03-04   6,869.50  104.78        21.15   77.08
2026-03-03   6,816.63  103.97        23.57   85.90
2026-03-02   6,881.62  104.96        21.44   78.13
2026-02-27   6,878.88  104.92        19.86   72.38
2026-02-26   6,908.86  105.38        18.63   67.89
2026-01-26   6,950.23  106.01        16.15   58.86
2025-12-26   6,929.94  105.70        13.60   49.56
2025-11-26   6,812.61  103.91        17.19   62.65
2025-10-26   6,791.69  103.59        16.37   59.66
2025-09-26   6,643.70  101.33        15.29   55.72
2025-08-26   6,465.94   98.62        14.62   53.28
2025-07-26   6,388.64   97.44        14.93   54.41
2025-06-26   6,141.02   93.66        16.59   60.46
2025-05-26   5,802.82   88.51        22.29   81.23
2025-04-26   5,525.21   84.27        24.84   90.52
2025-03-26   5,712.20   87.12        18.33   66.80
2024-03-26   5,203.58   79.37        17.95   65.42
2023-03-26   3,970.99   60.57        18.70   68.15
2022-03-26   4,543.06   69.29        20.56   74.93
2021-03-26   3,974.54   60.62        19.40   70.70
2020-03-26   2,630.07   40.11        53.54  195.12
2019-03-26   2,818.46   42.99        13.71   49.96
2018-03-26   2,658.55   40.55        19.97   72.78
2017-03-26   2,343.98   35.75        12.37   45.08
2016-03-26   2,035.94   31.05        13.95   50.84
2015-03-26   2,056.15   31.36        15.29   55.72
2014-03-26   1,923.57   29.34        13.88   50.58
2013-03-26   1,630.74   24.87        12.70   46.28
2012-03-26   1,310.33   19.99        15.50   56.49
2011-03-26   1,345.20   20.52        17.74   64.65
2010-03-26   1,089.41   16.62        17.59   64.10
2009-03-26     919.14   14.02        44.14  160.86
2008-03-26   1,400.38   21.36        25.61   93.33
2007-03-26   1,530.62   23.35        14.64   53.35
2006-03-26   1,270.09   19.37        11.39   41.51
2005-03-26   1,191.50   18.17        14.02   51.09
2004-03-26   1,120.68   17.09        16.74   61.01
2003-03-26     963.59   14.70        29.15  106.23
2002-03-26   1,067.14   16.28        17.40   63.41
2001-03-26   1,255.82   19.15        28.64  104.37
2000-03-26   1,420.60   21.67        24.11   87.86
1999-03-26   1,301.84   19.86        23.26   84.77
1998-03-26   1,090.82   16.64        24.22   88.27
1997-03-26     848.28   12.94        22.14   80.69
1996-03-26     669.12   10.21        18.88   68.80
1995-03-26     533.40    8.14        13.37   48.72
1994-03-26     456.50    6.96        20.45   74.53
1993-03-26     450.19    6.87        12.53   45.66
1992-03-26     415.35    6.34        16.18   58.97
1991-03-26     389.83    5.95        16.88   61.52
1990-03-26     361.23    5.51        19.73   71.90
1989-03-26     320.52    4.89                     
1988-03-26     262.16    4.00                     
1987-03-26     290.10    4.42                     
1986-03-26     247.35    3.77                     
1985-03-26     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