Best Emerging Markets Stock & Index ETFs for Low-Cost Investing

Emerging Markets Stock & Index ETFs constitute essential instruments for efficient allocation to developing economies, offering diversified exposure to corporations across Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Africa. These funds are primarily traded on global exchanges like NYSE and LSE, providing investors cost-effective access to enterprises fueling worldwide economic expansion. These instruments serve as foundational growth components, combining demographic advantages and structural transformations with competitive pricing frameworks.

Emerging Markets ETFs encompass more than just BRICS mega-caps; they represent diversified exposure across frontier innovations, middle-class consumption growth, and commodity-linked enterprises. The main advantages include:

  • Extreme cost efficiency: Expense ratios as low as 0.07% for broad-market funds substantially undercut actively managed EM portfolios while maintaining comprehensive diversification.
  • Structural transformation capture: Position for industrialization, technological adoption, and consumption growth occurring across dozens of developing nations.
  • Multi-continent diversification: Single-instrument access to dissimilar economic cycles across Asia, Africa, and Latin America without currency management complexity.

The dominance of passive broad-index strategies is evidenced by market adoption: Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) and iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) collectively manage hundreds of billions in assets. MSCI and FTSE Emerging Markets Index products represent approximately 75% of dedicated EM ETF assets under management. Investing through these vehicles provides calibrated exposure to both state-owned champions and private innovators across technology, financials, and industrial sectors at minimal expense. Certain EM ETF structures offer distinct cost-efficient strategies. Large-cap focused ETFs provide stability through established market leaders, while dividend-weighted funds target cash-flow positive enterprises across multiple emerging economies. This explains why EM allocations serve as vital growth complements to developed market holdings in globally optimized portfolios.

While composite EM funds dominate, newer ultra-low-cost ETFs target specialized emerging demographics like Asian technology ecosystems, Latin American consumption growth, and African infrastructure development. ESG-themed and small-cap focused EM ETFs represent 45% of low-cost category innovations, followed by targeted income funds offering higher distribution yields without compromising expense efficiency.

Regulated broker Invest now: Buy Stocks & ETFs in just 15 minutes from $50 Your capital is at risk. Free demo account & education

The following table contains a comprehensive list of strategically positioned Emerging Markets ETFs optimized for low-cost investing, primarily traded on international exchanges. These ETFs include various share classes featuring differing fee structures (TER 0.07%-0.30%), distribution policies (accumulating/distributing), index methodologies (market-cap/floating adjustment), and regional concentration parameters.

Emerging Markets Stock & Index ETFs list
StockPriceChange %52 Week Range
$66.440.79%
$54.520.63%
$53.820.79%
$95.120.34%
$68.120.90%
$47.100.62%
$33.580.63%
$36.310.41%
$66.800.32%
$63.950.19%
$43.770.81%
$31.790.82%
$32.320.78%
$45.980.02%
$25.430.18%
$57.200.18%
$38.270.87%
$21.310.22%
$21.640.37%
$25.540.47%
$36.550.61%
$47.990.93%
$41.100.91%
$67.450.24%
$29.660.10%
$31.860.65%
$57.030.79%
$32.100.66%
$40.300.34%
$63.870.88%
$26.640.09%
$27.100.01%
$41.300.22%
$46.060.06%
$38.760.23%
$46.380.12%
$68.260.52%
$39.520.14%
$37.380.48%
$44.361.06%
$59.130.22%
$25.150.31%
$36.550.72%
$35.980.81%
$63.500.63%
$41.330.59%
$43.660.27%
$30.830.94%
$55.560.31%
$33.930.82%
$31.370.70%
$33.210.01%
$29.440.34%
$23.660.08%
$28.940.92%
$24.590.55%
$56.201.19%
$24.340.40%
$73.320.76%
$22.370.33%
$31.090.75%
$29.010.24%
$52.202.35%
$43.720.01%
$42.140.74%
$28.810.24%
$29.230.26%
$34.920.90%
$45.570.81%
$45.540.69%
$64.211.02%
$30.431.15%
$26.710.70%
$41.870.28%
$36.510.72%
$67.000.47%
$28.300.57%
$34.380.12%
$28.110.47%
$66.710.63%
$15.450.16%
$31.080.04%
$59.300.78%
$76.410.83%
$39.180.08%
$27.620.69%
$14.911.01%
$27.790.50%
$23.080.04%
$31.770.94%
$36.520.80%
$30.800.65%
$29.631.30%
$25.620.24%
$28.020.55%
$77.881.40%
$54.230.39%
$39.222.10%
$18.640.00%
$20.740.76%
$26.751.43%
$35.190.94%
$64.540.66%
$32.330.63%
$45.250.16%
$29.060.62%
$18.080.59%
$20.090.02%
$18.850.16%
$10.071.53%
$25.460.32%
$16.100.20%
$21.490.05%