Largest Bond ETFs: Complete List of Top Fixed Income Funds
More than 500 ETFs with over $1 trillion in combined assets track Bloomberg fixed income indexes alone — making bond ETFs one of the largest and most liquid segments of the entire ETF market. A bond ETF holds a portfolio of bonds chosen to replicate a specific index or follow a defined strategy, and its shares trade throughout the day on stock exchanges, giving investors continuous pricing even when the underlying bonds trade infrequently.
The most widely followed benchmark is the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index, known as “The Agg.” Its origins trace back to July 7, 1973, when Art Lipson and John Roundtree of Kuhn, Loeb & Co. created two total-return bond indexes that were later blended and expanded. The index covers four major sub-sectors: U.S. Treasuries, investment-grade corporate bonds, mortgage-backed securities, and asset-backed securities. Only bonds that are investment grade, have at least $100 million in outstanding par value, and carry at least one year to maturity qualify for inclusion.
Bond ETFs generally fall into these categories:
- Aggregate / Total Market: Broad funds like Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) and iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG), which combine government, corporate, and mortgage-backed bonds into a single holding.
- U.S. Treasury: Funds targeting short-, medium-, or long-term government debt, such as the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT). These carry lower credit risk since they are backed by the U.S. government.
- Investment-Grade Corporate: ETFs holding bonds from companies with strong credit ratings, offering higher yields than Treasuries with relatively low default risk.
- High-Yield (“Junk”): Funds investing in below-investment-grade debt rated BB to D, where higher default risk is compensated by higher yields.
- Municipal (Muni): Funds investing in state and local government bonds. Income from muni bond ETFs is generally free from federal taxes.
- TIPS (Inflation-Protected): ETFs holding Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, whose principal adjusts with the Consumer Price Index.
- Ultra-Short / T-Bill: Funds like SGOV and BIL that are increasingly used as money market alternatives, providing cash-like safety with intraday liquidity.
- International / Emerging Market: Bond ETFs covering developed or emerging-market sovereign and corporate debt across single countries or entire regions.
The three largest providers of bond ETFs are BlackRock (iShares), Vanguard, and State Street (SPDR). For a broader look at fund providers, see our pages on BlackRock iShares ETFs, Vanguard ETFs, and State Street SPDR ETFs.
Regulated brokerThe table below lists the largest bond ETFs ranked by assets under management, including their category, yield, and expense ratio.
| Stock | Price | Change % | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| $98.95 | 0.24% | $0.24 | |
| $73.36 | 0.26% | $0.19 | |
| $48.08 | 0.17% | $0.08 | |
| $85.65 | 0.50% | $0.43 | |
| $82.60 | 0.33% | $0.27 | |
| $106.99 | 0.00% | $0.00000000000000 | |
| $79.03 | 0.10% | $0.08 | |
| $50.20 | 0.06% | $0.03 | |
| $91.44 | 0.02% | $0.02 | |
| $78.07 | 0.10% | $0.08 | |
| $94.58 | 0.23% | $0.22 | |
| $94.71 | 0.31% | $0.29 | |
| $108.74 | 0.41% | $0.45 | |
| $46.12 | 0.24% | $0.11 | |
| $59.15 | 0.19% | $0.11 | |
| $22.78 | 0.20% | $0.045 | |
| $82.23 | 0.09% | $0.07 | |
| $50.49 | 0.02% | $0.01 | |
| $52.42 | 0.10% | $0.05 | |
| $100.45 | 0.01% | $0.00999 | |
| $58.30 | 0.09% | $0.05 | |
| $110.14 | 0.01% | $0.01 | |
| $111.03 | 0.11% | $0.12 | |
| $50.38 | 0.00% | $0.00000000000000 | |
| $76.80 | 0.30% | $0.23 |
