Fund rankings

Thematic: index funds & ETFs with the highest historical return

Ranked by historical return alone, highest first: VanEck Semiconductor (VanEck) leads with an approximate 14% annualized return. Past returns don't guarantee future ones, and a higher return usually comes with higher risk — check each fund's risk indicator before choosing.

1

VanEck Semiconductor

VanEck · Thematic

Hist. return*

~14%

2

SPDR MSCI World Technology

SPDR · Thematic

Hist. return*

~12%

3

VanEck Defense

VanEck · Thematic

Hist. return*

~12%

4

Xtrackers MSCI World Information Technology

Xtrackers · Thematic

Hist. return*

~12%

5

iShares Automation & Robotics

iShares · Thematic

Hist. return*

~10%

6

iShares STOXX Europe 600 Technology

iShares · Thematic

Hist. return*

~10%

7

L&G Ecommerce Logistics

L&G · Thematic

Hist. return*

~9%

8

VanEck Space Innovators

VanEck · Thematic

Hist. return*

~9%

9

Amundi Smart City

Amundi · Thematic

Hist. return*

~8%

10

iShares Electric Vehicles and Driving Technology

iShares · Thematic

Hist. return*

~8%

11

iShares Global Clean Energy

iShares · Thematic

Hist. return*

~8%

12

iShares Global Water

iShares · Thematic

Hist. return*

~8%

13

iShares Healthcare Innovation

iShares · Thematic

Hist. return*

~8%

14

iShares STOXX Europe 600 Health Care

iShares · Thematic

Hist. return*

~8%

15

L&G Battery Value-Chain

L&G · Thematic

Hist. return*

~8%

16

SPDR MSCI World Health Care

SPDR · Thematic

Hist. return*

~8%

17

Xtrackers MSCI World Health Care

Xtrackers · Thematic

Hist. return*

~8%

18

Amundi Stoxx Europe 600 Banks

Amundi · Thematic

Hist. return*

~7%

19

Global X Lithium & Battery Tech

Global X · Thematic

Hist. return*

~7%

20

Invesco Solar Energy

Invesco · Thematic

Hist. return*

~7%

21

iShares Global Infrastructure

iShares · Thematic

Hist. return*

~7%

22

iShares STOXX Europe 600 Banks

iShares · Thematic

Hist. return*

~7%

23

iShares STOXX Europe 600 Industrial Goods & Services

iShares · Thematic

Hist. return*

~7%

24

iShares STOXX Europe 600 Insurance

iShares · Thematic

Hist. return*

~7%

25

iShares STOXX Europe 600 Travel & Leisure

iShares · Thematic

Hist. return*

~7%

26

L&G Clean Energy

L&G · Thematic

Hist. return*

~7%

27

SPDR MSCI World Financials

SPDR · Thematic

Hist. return*

~7%

28

WisdomTree Battery Solutions

WisdomTree · Thematic

Hist. return*

~7%

29

Xtrackers MSCI World Financials

Xtrackers · Thematic

Hist. return*

~7%

30

Global X Clean Energy

Global X · Thematic

Hist. return*

~6%

Frequently asked questions

How is this ranking built?+

A single, explicit, objective criterion: the approximate historical annualized return of the index each fund tracks, sorted from highest to lowest in the Thematic category. No sponsored placements, no editorial picks.

Is the cheapest / highest-return fund always the best choice?+

Not necessarily — and be careful here: a high historical return usually reflects a riskier, more concentrated index (tech, a single country), and past performance is no guarantee of future results. Check the risk indicator before deciding.

How many funds are in this Thematic ranking?+

45 — every fund and ETF in the Thematic category in our catalog whose data we're confident is accurate and current. Quality over an arbitrary count.

Other rankings

Thematic: the cheapest index funds & ETFs (lowest TER)Index funds and ETFs with the highest historical returnThematic

* Indicative long-term annualized historical return of the benchmark index, not the fund. Always check the up-to-date TER, risk and data in the official factsheet linked. Past returns do not guarantee future returns.

Index funds and ETFs with their factsheets Factsheet