IWM vs XLI — 25-Year Performance Comparison
US Small-Cap vs Industrials — backtested 2000–2024
IWM wins$66,766 vs $66,388 on $10,000 over 25 years
IWMUS Small-Cap
Final value$66,766
CAGR+7.9%
Max drawdown-35.3%
Best year+48% (2003)
Years won11 of 25
XLIIndustrials
Final value$66,388
CAGR+7.9%
Max drawdown-39.9%
Best year+41% (2013)
Years won14 of 25
Growth of $10,000
2000–2024IWMXLI
IWM$66,766
XLI$66,388
50/50 mix$67,753
50/50 blend: $67,753 (+8.0%/yr CAGR)
Splitting equally between IWM and XLI would have outperformed both individually — diversification smoothed the ride. Try a custom split →
Year-by-year: IWM vs XLI
| Year | IWM | XLI | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | +11.4% | +17.5% | XLI |
| 2023 | +16.8% | +18.0% | XLI |
| 2022 | -20.5% | -5.9% | XLI |
| 2021 | +14.5% | +21.1% | XLI |
| 2020 | +20.0% | +11.5% | IWM |
| 2019 | +25.4% | +29.4% | XLI |
| 2018 | -11.1% | -14.7% | IWM |
| 2017 | +14.6% | +21.0% | XLI |
| 2016 | +21.6% | +18.9% | IWM |
| 2015 | -4.5% | -2.5% | XLI |
| 2014 | +5.0% | +9.9% | XLI |
| 2013 | +38.7% | +40.7% | XLI |
| 2012 | +16.7% | +15.3% | IWM |
| 2011 | -4.4% | -0.6% | XLI |
| 2010 | +26.9% | +26.8% | IWM |
| 2009 | +28.5% | +20.9% | IWM |
| 2008 | -34.2% | -39.9% | IWM |
| 2007 | -1.8% | +12.2% | XLI |
| 2006 | +18.3% | +14.3% | IWM |
| 2005 | +4.5% | +10.0% | XLI |
| 2004 | +18.1% | +19.6% | XLI |
| 2003 | +47.9% | +23.0% | IWM |
| 2002 | -20.4% | -17.9% | XLI |
| 2001 | +1.8% | -8.0% | IWM |
| 2000 | +5.6% | -4.9% | IWM |
More comparisons
Build your portfolio
Mix IWM + XLI 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.