Annual returns for the Dow Jones Index starting with the year 1886. Returns calculated using the closing price of the last trading day of the year to the last trading day closing price of the next year. The return for 2026 is calculated using the closing price of 2025 to the most recent market close price.
| Year | Return |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 2.70% |
| 2025 | 12.97% |
| 2024 | 12.88% |
| 2023 | 13.70% |
| 2022 | -8.78% |
| 2021 | 18.73% |
| 2020 | 7.25% |
| 2019 | 22.34% |
| 2018 | -5.63% |
| 2017 | 25.08% |
| 2016 | 13.42% |
| 2015 | -2.23% |
| 2014 | 7.52% |
| 2013 | 26.50% |
| 2012 | 7.26% |
| 2011 | 5.53% |
| 2010 | 11.02% |
| 2009 | 18.82% |
| 2008 | -33.84% |
| 2007 | 6.43% |
| 2006 | 16.29% |
| 2005 | -0.61% |
| 2004 | 3.15% |
| 2003 | 25.32% |
| 2002 | -16.76% |
| 2001 | -7.10% |
| 2000 | -6.17% |
| 1999 | 25.22% |
| 1998 | 16.10% |
| 1997 | 22.64% |
| 1996 | 26.01% |
| 1995 | 33.45% |
| 1994 | 2.14% |
| 1993 | 13.72% |
| 1992 | 4.17% |
| 1991 | 20.32% |
| 1990 | -4.34% |
| 1989 | 26.96% |
| 1988 | 11.85% |
| 1987 | 2.26% |
| 1986 | 22.58% |
| 1985 | 27.66% |
| 1984 | -3.74% |
| 1983 | 20.27% |
| 1982 | 19.60% |
| 1981 | -9.23% |
| 1980 | 14.94% |
| 1979 | 4.19% |
| 1978 | -3.15% |
| 1977 | -17.27% |
| 1976 | 17.86% |
| 1975 | 38.32% |
| 1974 | -27.57% |
| 1973 | -16.58% |
| 1972 | 14.58% |
| 1971 | 6.11% |
| 1970 | 4.82% |
| 1969 | -15.19% |
| 1968 | 4.27% |
| 1967 | 15.20% |
| 1966 | -18.94% |
| 1965 | 10.88% |
| 1964 | 14.57% |
| 1963 | 17.00% |
| 1962 | -10.81% |
| 1961 | 18.71% |
| 1960 | -9.34% |
| 1959 | 16.40% |
| 1958 | 33.96% |
| 1957 | -12.77% |
| 1956 | 2.27% |
| 1955 | 20.77% |
| 1954 | 43.96% |
| 1953 | -3.77% |
| 1952 | 8.42% |
| 1951 | 14.37% |
| 1950 | 17.63% |
| 1949 | 12.88% |
| 1948 | -2.13% |
| 1947 | 2.23% |
| 1946 | -8.14% |
| 1945 | 26.65% |
| 1944 | 12.09% |
| 1943 | 13.81% |
| 1942 | 7.61% |
| 1941 | -15.38% |
| 1940 | -12.72% |
| 1939 | -2.92% |
| 1938 | 28.06% |
| 1937 | -32.82% |
| 1936 | 24.82% |
| 1935 | 38.53% |
| 1934 | 4.14% |
| 1933 | 66.69% |
| 1932 | -23.07% |
| 1931 | -52.67% |
| 1930 | -33.77% |
| 1929 | -17.17% |
| 1928 | 48.22% |
| 1927 | 28.75% |
| 1926 | 0.34% |
| 1925 | 30.00% |
| 1924 | 26.16% |
| 1923 | -3.25% |
| 1922 | 21.74% |
| 1921 | 12.72% |
| 1920 | -32.90% |
| 1919 | 30.45% |
| 1918 | 10.51% |
| 1917 | -21.71% |
| 1916 | -4.19% |
| 1915 | 81.66% |
| 1914 | -5.43% |
| 1913 | -10.34% |
| 1912 | 7.58% |
| 1911 | 0.39% |
| 1910 | -17.86% |
| 1909 | 14.97% |
| 1908 | 46.64% |
| 1907 | -37.73% |
| 1906 | -1.92% |
| 1905 | 38.20% |
| 1904 | 41.74% |
| 1903 | -23.61% |
| 1902 | -0.42% |
| 1901 | -8.70% |
| 1900 | 7.01% |
| 1899 | 9.19% |
| 1898 | 22.49% |
| 1897 | 21.06% |
| 1896 | -1.72% |
| 1895 | 2.29% |
| 1894 | -0.56% |
| 1893 | -24.60% |
| 1892 | -6.56% |
| 1891 | 17.62% |
| 1890 | -14.15% |
| 1889 | 6.20% |
| 1888 | 4.81% |
| 1887 | -8.41% |
| 1886 | 4.44% |
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was first composed by Charles Dow. At its start it only contained twelve companies and was mostly composed of energy, railroad and food stocks. It has since then expanded to the thirty companies we know today. It is one of the oldest stock indexes in existence and offers the longest market return history.
NOTE: The YTD return for 2026 is as of the market close on 2026-01-16.