Vanguard international funds
Give your money a passport to overseas markets.
Expand your investment opportunities
International mutual funds add diversification to a U.S.-focused portfolio by giving you access to hundreds—sometimes thousands—of foreign securities, which spreads out risk more than owning just domestic stocks.
In general, we suggest that at least 20% of your portfolio be invested in international stocks and bonds.
Get broad exposure to international markets
You can use just a few funds to invest overseas. Each of these funds gives you access to a wide variety of international securities in a single, diversified fund.
- Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund holds more than 8,000 non-U.S. stocks.
- Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund holds more than 6,500 non-U.S. bonds.
How to choose an international mutual fund
There are a few ways you can invest in foreign markets:
- International funds invest only in foreign markets, excluding the United States.
- Global or world funds combine investments in foreign markets and the United States.
- Regional funds focus primarily on a specific part of the world, like Europe or the Pacific region.
- Developed markets funds invest in foreign countries considered to have proven economies, like Japan, France, and the United Kingdom.
- Emerging markets funds target "developing" economies, like India, Brazil, and Taiwan.
Would you prefer index or active funds?
Do you feel more comfortable tracking the market, or would you rather try to beat it?
-
Index funds try to track the performance of a specific
market benchmark . - Actively managed funds are steered by our expert portfolio managers who select specific securities for the fund. While these funds give you a chance to beat the benchmark, they can also underperform.
What if I want to invest in ESG funds?
For investors who choose to prioritize ESG considerations in their investment strategies, Vanguard offers both index and actively managed ESG funds.
Vanguard is committed to providing investors with the information and products they need to make sound investment choices that help enable them to meet their financial goals and reflect their personal preferences.
Need some guidance? Explore more topics about funds
ETFs vs. mutual funds: A comparison
What are money market funds and how do they work?
What are multi-asset or balanced funds?
For more information about Vanguard mutual funds and ETFs, visit
All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest. Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.
ESG funds are subject to ESG investment risk, which is the chance that the stocks or bonds screened by the index provider or advisor, as applicable, for ESG criteria generally will underperform the market as a whole or, in the aggregate, will trail returns of other funds screened for ESG criteria. The index provider or advisor's assessment of a company, based on the company's level of involvement in a particular industry or their own ESG criteria, may differ from that of other funds or an investor's assessment of such company. As a result, the companies deemed eligible by the index provider or advisor may not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor and may not exhibit positive or favorable ESG characteristics. The evaluation of companies for ESG screening or integration is dependent on the timely and accurate reporting of ESG data by the companies. Successful application of the screens will depend on the index provider or advisor's proper identification and analysis of ESG data. The advisor may not be successful in assessing and identifying companies that have or will have a positive impact or support a given position. In some circumstances, companies could ultimately have a negative or no impact or support of a given position.
Vanguard's advice services are provided by Vanguard Advisers, Inc. ("VAI"), a registered investment advisor, or by Vanguard National Trust Company ("VNTC"), a federally chartered, limited-purpose trust company.
The services provided to clients will vary based upon the service selected, including management, fees, eligibility, and access to an advisor.
VAI and VNTC are subsidiaries of The Vanguard Group, Inc., and affiliates of Vanguard Marketing Corporation. Neither VAI, VNTC, nor its affiliates guarantee profits or protection from losses.