P
Pulsafi

Best and Worst S&P 500 Years on Record

+50% / -43%
Best year (1933) / worst year (1931)
Summary

The S&P 500's best calendar year on record is 1933 (+50.0%); worst is 1931 (-43.3%). In the modern era (post-1950), the best year is 1954 (+45.0%); worst is 2008 (-37.0%). Major drawdowns: -47% in 1973-74, -49% in 2000-02, -57% in 2007-09, -34% in 2020 (recovered in 6 months). Average bull market lasts 5 years; average bear market 11 months.

Breakdown

Best year all-time (1933)+50.0%
Best year post-1950 (1954)+45.0%
Worst year all-time (1931)-43.3%
Worst year post-1950 (2008)-37.0%
Avg bull market length~5 years
Avg bear market length~11 months
Source
S&P Dow Jones Indices / NYU Stern· As of 2026-Q1

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S&P 500 Historical Return →Average Investor Return →

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S&P 500 Historical ReturnAverage Investor ReturnUS Inflation RateTotal US Stock Market CapitalizationFederal Funds RateUS Treasury Yields
All Pulsafi stats are sourced from primary government data and major financial institutions. Read the full methodology and data-sources page.