Best ETFs for Global Indices: Ranked List of World ETFs
MSCI has been calculating global equity indices since 1969, making its benchmarks — including the MSCI World and MSCI ACWI — among the most widely tracked in the world. Together with FTSE Russell and the newer European provider Solactive (established in 2007), these three firms supply the indices behind virtually every global index ETF available.
A single global index ETF can hold thousands of stocks across more than 40 countries, weighted by market capitalisation. The main indices differ in scope:
- MSCI World: Tracks around 1,300 large- and mid-cap companies across 23 developed markets, covering approximately 85% of free-float market cap in each country. Despite the name, it excludes emerging markets entirely.
- MSCI ACWI: Expands coverage to 23 developed and 26 emerging markets across 11 sectors — the broadest MSCI equity benchmark. Currently tracked by multiple ETFs including iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI).
- FTSE All-World: FTSE Russell’s counterpart to the MSCI ACWI, with approximately 4,254 constituents covering 90–95% of investable market cap. Calculated since 1986, it serves as the basis for several Vanguard funds, including Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF.
- Solactive GBS Global Markets: Used by Amundi in products like the Amundi Prime All Country World UCITS ETF, offering an alternative to MSCI and FTSE licensing.
One detail worth noting: FTSE and MSCI classify certain countries differently. For example, FTSE treats South Korea as a developed market while MSCI does not. Mixing ETFs from different index providers can create unintended overlaps or gaps in country exposure.
US stocks dominate all major global indices due to market-cap weighting. Sectors like information technology, financial services, and industrials carry the heaviest weight in the MSCI World. Most global ETFs hold only large- and mid-cap stocks — the bottom 10–15% of small caps is typically excluded. Providers often use statistical sampling rather than holding every single index constituent.
For ETFs focused specifically on developed markets, see our Best MSCI World ETFs page. For emerging-market-only exposure, the Emerging Markets ETFs list covers that segment separately.
Regulated brokerThe table below presents a ranked selection of leading global index ETFs tracking benchmarks like MSCI World, MSCI ACWI, and FTSE All-World. All data — including fees, holdings, and performance — updates automatically.
| Stock | Price | Change % | 52 Week Range |
|---|---|---|---|
 SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY | $746.74 | 1.04% | |
 Invesco QQQ Trust Series I QQQ | $740.62 | 2.51% | |
 iShares Russell 2000 ETF IWM | $295.59 | 1.97% | |
 SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust DIA | $515.52 | 0.12% | |
 Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF VTI | $369.99 | 1.16% | |
 SPDR S&P Midcap 400 ETF Trust MDY | $691.00 | 1.00% | |
Invesco DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund DBC | $27.63 | 0.29% | |
 SPDR EURO STOXX 50 ETF FEZ | $70.06 | 1.18% | |
 iShares S&P 100 ETF OEF | $368.66 | 1.24% | |
iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF IWF | $123.19 | 1.31% | |
iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF IWD | $242.18 | 0.75% | |
 iShares Preferred & Income Securities ETF PFF | $31.23 | 0.45% | |
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF VOO | $688.11 | 0.98% | |
iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF IJH | $75.78 | 1.07% | |
iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF IWO | $389.04 | 2.37% | |
iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF IWN | $216.87 | 1.49% | |
 iShares MSCI ACWI ETF ACWI | $157.74 | 1.24% | |
iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF IEMG | $85.63 | 3.14% |