ETF Versus

EWG vs EWJ

iShares MSCI Germany ETF vs iShares MSCI Japan ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

EWG

iShares MSCI Germany ETF (EWG) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to germany equity securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.49%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.69%. Launched in 1996, the fund has a 30-year track record.

AUM: $1.4B ER: 0.49% Yield: 1.69% Since: Mar 12, 1996
EWJ

iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to japan equity securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.49%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.22%. Launched in 1996, the fund has a 30-year track record.

AUM: $18.0B ER: 0.49% Yield: 4.22% Since: Mar 12, 1996

Quick Verdict

Over the past year, EWJ has significantly outperformed with a 26.8% return vs 7.8%. Income investors may prefer EWJ for its higher yield (4.2% vs 1.7%).

Key Metrics

Metric EWG EWJ
Expense Ratio 0.49% 0.49%
Dividend Yield 1.7% 4.2%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category Germany Equity Japan Equity

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

55 71 87 103 119 135 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
EWG +15.9%
EWJ +23.6%

Performance Comparison

Period EWG EWJ Difference
1 Month -6.32% -4.12% -2.20%
3 Months -5.55% +6.33% -11.88%
6 Months -5.26% +5.75% -11.01%
YTD -5.55% +6.33% -11.88%
1 Year +7.80% +26.80% -19.00%
3 Years +40.90% +46.68% -5.78%
5 Years +15.88% +23.58% -7.70%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period EWG Fees EWJ Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $960 $960 $0
$10.000 20 years $4.052 $4.052 $0
$10.000 30 years $12.832 $12.832 $0
$50.000 10 years $4.799 $4.799 $0
$50.000 30 years $64.162 $64.162 $0
$100.000 30 years $128.324 $128.324 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric EWG EWJ
Annualized Volatility 20.5% 18.3%
Max Drawdown -46.5% -34.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.03 0.08

Dividend Comparison

Metric EWG EWJ
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.68 $3.65
Dividend Yield 1.69% 4.22%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Semi-Annual or Annual

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

EWG Top Holdings

NameWeight
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft!etr/SIE10.07%
SAP SE!etr/SAP9.63%
Allianz SE!etr/ALV8.63%
Deutsche Telekom AG!etr/DTE7.54%
Siemens Energy AG!etr/ENR7.24%
Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft in München!etr/MUV24.42%
Rheinmetall AG!etr/RHM4.11%
Infineon Technologies AG!etr/IFX3.16%
BASF SE!etr/BAS3.01%
Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft!etr/DBK2.92%

EWJ Top Holdings

NameWeight
Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/72034.27%
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.!tyo/83064.05%
Hitachi, Ltd.!tyo/65012.86%
Sony Group Corporation!tyo/67582.61%
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.!tyo/83162.54%
Mitsubishi Corporation!tyo/80582.46%
Tokyo Electron Limited!tyo/80352.33%
Advantest Corporation!tyo/68572.23%
Mitsui & Co., Ltd.!tyo/80312.14%
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.!tyo/84112.10%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose EWJ if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose EWJ if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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