EFA vs XLF — 24-Year Performance Comparison
International Developed vs Financials — backtested 2001–2024
EFA wins$33,507 vs $31,920 on $10,000 over 24 years
EFAInternational Developed
Final value$33,507
CAGR+5.2%
Max drawdown-41.0%
Best year+40% (2003)
Years won15 of 24
XLFFinancials
Final value$31,920
CAGR+5.0%
Max drawdown-63.6%
Best year+36% (2013)
Years won9 of 24
Growth of $10,000
2001–2024EFAXLF
EFA$33,507
XLF$31,920
50/50 mix$34,416
50/50 blend: $34,416 (+5.3%/yr CAGR)
Splitting equally between EFA and XLF would have outperformed both individually — diversification smoothed the ride. Try a custom split →
Year-by-year: EFA vs XLF
| Year | EFA | XLF | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | +3.5% | +30.9% | XLF |
| 2023 | +18.4% | +12.2% | EFA |
| 2022 | -14.4% | -10.5% | XLF |
| 2021 | +11.4% | +35.0% | XLF |
| 2020 | +7.6% | -1.7% | EFA |
| 2019 | +22.0% | +32.1% | XLF |
| 2018 | -13.8% | -14.6% | EFA |
| 2017 | +25.1% | +22.2% | EFA |
| 2016 | +1.4% | +22.8% | XLF |
| 2015 | -1.0% | -1.5% | EFA |
| 2014 | -6.2% | +15.2% | XLF |
| 2013 | +21.4% | +35.6% | XLF |
| 2012 | +18.8% | +29.0% | XLF |
| 2011 | -12.2% | -17.1% | EFA |
| 2010 | +8.2% | +12.1% | XLF |
| 2009 | +27.0% | +17.5% | EFA |
| 2008 | -41.0% | -55.3% | EFA |
| 2007 | +9.9% | -18.6% | EFA |
| 2006 | +25.8% | +19.1% | EFA |
| 2005 | +13.3% | +6.1% | EFA |
| 2004 | +19.0% | +10.7% | EFA |
| 2003 | +40.3% | +29.1% | EFA |
| 2002 | -15.4% | -19.0% | EFA |
| 2001 | -5.2% | -6.3% | EFA |
More comparisons
Build your portfolio
Mix EFA + XLF with custom allocations
Try a 70/30 or 40/60 split — or add up to 3 more ETFs. See exactly how your custom portfolio would have performed.
Open Portfolio Builder →Past performance does not guarantee future results.