EWJ Performance — iShares MSCI Japan ETF
Data updated: 2026-07-27
EWJ returned +15.61% year to date and +31.43% over one year to May 2026. Annualised returns are +19.70% over 3 years and +8.94% over 5 years. The fund trailed its Japan Equity category average: $100 invested three years ago grew to $171, against $184 for the category, and to $131 over one year, against $134. Volatility over the past three years was 13.46% a year. In the 12 months to May 2026 the fund took in a net $2.4B, and assets reached $21.30B.
EWJ Growth of $100
What $100 invested in iShares MSCI Japan ETF grew to, compounded from monthly returns reported on SEC Form N-PORT, against the Japan Equity category average over the same months.
| Period | EWJ | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year (Jun 2025 – May 2026) | $131 | $134 |
| 3 years (Jun 2023 – May 2026) | $171 | $184 |
| 5 years (Jun 2021 – May 2026) | $153 | $167 |
| Since data start (Sep 2019 – May 2026) | $199 | $218 |
EWJ Trailing Returns
Total returns to May 2026, from SEC N-PORT.
| Period | Total return |
|---|---|
| YTD | +15.61% |
| 1 year | +31.43% |
| 3 years (annualised) | +19.70% |
| 5 years (annualised) | +8.94% |
EWJ Annual Returns
Calendar-year total returns of iShares MSCI Japan ETF, compounded from monthly SEC N-PORT returns. Partial years show the months covered.
| Year | Total return |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–May) | +15.61% |
| 2025 | +25.91% |
| 2024 | +6.80% |
| 2023 | +19.77% |
| 2022 | −17.36% |
| 2021 | +1.55% |
| 2020 | +14.01% |
| 2019 (Sep–Dec) | +11.89% |
EWJ Monthly Returns
Monthly total returns as reported on SEC Form N-PORT.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | +6.2% | +8.1% | −8.8% | +6.0% | +4.1% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | +2.1% | +0.4% | −0.1% | +4.3% | +3.7% | +2.1% | −2.7% | +6.9% | +3.5% | +3.5% | −0.5% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | +3.1% | +4.7% | +2.9% | −5.5% | +2.3% | −0.5% | +4.7% | +1.4% | −0.6% | −5.7% | +2.7% | −2.2% |
| 2023 | +6.9% | −4.4% | +4.7% | 0.0% | +1.5% | +4.9% | +2.2% | −2.7% | −2.2% | −3.1% | +7.1% | +4.0% |
| 2022 | −4.3% | −1.9% | −2.1% | −8.1% | +2.0% | −7.6% | +6.1% | −4.1% | −9.4% | +2.6% | +12.3% | −2.2% |
| 2021 | −1.0% | +1.5% | +1.1% | −1.5% | +1.9% | −0.9% | −0.6% | +2.2% | +2.4% | −2.6% | −2.9% | +2.3% |
| 2020 | −1.4% | −9.2% | −7.1% | +5.3% | +5.9% | −0.1% | −1.6% | +7.6% | +0.9% | −1.6% | +12.5% | +4.1% |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | +4.0% | +4.8% | +0.5% | +2.1% |
EWJ Risk
Risk measures from monthly returns over Jun 2023 – May 2026.
- 3-year volatility (annualised): 13.46%
- 3-year Sharpe ratio: 1.13 (vs 4.5% risk-free rate)
- Best month: +8.13% (Feb 2026)
- Worst month: −8.77% (Mar 2026)
EWJ Fund Flows
Monthly money in and out of iShares MSCI Japan ETF, from SEC Form N-PORT.
- 12-month net flow: $2.4B
- 12-month gross sales (incl. reinvestments): $8.6B
- Sales ÷ redemptions: 1.40×
| Month | Sales | Redemptions | Net flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | $692.4M | $1.2B | −$513.1M |
| Apr 2026 | $1.6B | $79.4M | $1.5B |
| Mar 2026 | $1.5B | $1.7B | −$165.0M |
| Feb 2026 | $2.3B | $81.1M | $2.2B |
| Jan 2026 | $488.1M | $332.5M | $155.6M |
| Dec 2025 | $364.1M | $149.9M | $214.2M |
| Nov 2025 | $199.8M | $0 | $199.8M |
| Oct 2025 | $483.3M | $637.6M | −$154.4M |
| Sep 2025 | $118.7M | $422.8M | −$304.1M |
| Aug 2025 | $0 | $1.1B | −$1.1B |
| Jul 2025 | $444.8M | $181.6M | $263.2M |
| Jun 2025 | $370.0M | $297.5M | $72.5M |
EWJ Assets Under Management
Net assets of iShares MSCI Japan ETF by report date, from SEC N-PORT filings.
| Report date | Net assets |
|---|---|
| 2026-05-31 | $21.30B |
| 2026-02-28 | $20.31B |
| 2025-11-30 | $15.85B |
| 2025-08-31 | $15.13B |
| 2025-05-31 | $15.05B |
| 2025-02-28 | $13.81B |
| 2024-11-30 | $14.12B |
| 2024-08-31 | $15.73B |
| 2024-05-31 | $16.15B |
| 2024-02-29 | $16.41B |
| 2023-11-30 | $13.15B |
| 2023-08-31 | $13.60B |
For information only. Not investment advice: figures are as reported in SEC filings and may contain errors or be out of date. Past performance does not guarantee future results.