# U.S. vs. International Stock ETFs by the Numbers: Funds, Assets and Fees

Source: https://www.vistashares.com/us-vs-international-stock-etfs-by-the-numbers/
Published: 2026-11-13 | Updated: 2026-11-13

By Adam Patti, Chief Executive Officer, VistaShares | November 2026

U.S. stock ETFs dominate the market for American investors, but international funds are a large and varied group of their own. ETFIQ counts more than 650 international and global stock ETFs, from broad developed-market funds to single-country funds. This page compares U.S. and international stock ETFs with dated figures on fund counts, assets, fees and recent flows, segment by segment, so the comparisons are like for like.

Figure | U.S. stock ETFs | International stock ETFs |

Funds in each group, tracked by ETFIQ (Nov 12, 2026) | 1,059 | 656, including global funds |

Large-cap blend funds (Nov 12, 2026) | 342 | 115 |

Large-cap blend combined net assets (Nov 12, 2026) | $5.3 trillion, 338 of 342 funds reporting | $1.2 trillion, all 115 funds reporting |

Large-cap blend median yearly fee, per prospectus (Nov 12, 2026) | 0.35% | 0.39% |

Largest large-cap blend fund, net assets (Oct 31, 2026) | $1.0 trillion | $228.8 billion |

Large-cap blend net flows, week to Nov 11, 2026 | $9.9 billion in, 117 of 342 funds counted | $2.8 billion in, 43 of 115 funds counted |

Large-cap value and growth funds (Nov 12, 2026) | 150 value, 139 growth | 52 value, 22 growth |

Smaller companies: blend funds and net assets (Nov 12, 2026) | U.S. small-cap: 89 funds, $402.3 billion | International small and mid-cap: 17 funds, $40.1 billion |

Sources: group counts, [ETFIQ stock ETFs](https://etfiq.com/stocks/), data as of Nov 12, 2026; segment figures, ETFIQ pages for [U.S. large-cap blend](https://etfiq.com/stocks/us-large-blend/), [international large-cap blend](https://etfiq.com/stocks/foreign-large-blend/), [U.S. small-cap blend](https://etfiq.com/stocks/us-small-blend/) and [international small and mid-cap blend](https://etfiq.com/stocks/foreign-smid-blend/), data as of Nov 12, 2026, largest fund as of Oct 31, 2026, flows as of Nov 11, 2026. Flows count only funds with daily share data.

## How does ETFIQ define U.S. and international funds?

ETFIQ sorts its 1,930 stock ETFs into three groups: U.S. stocks, international stocks and sector stocks. A U.S. fund holds mainly U.S. companies across the market and is placed by company size and by value or growth. An international fund holds mainly companies outside the U.S., with under 20% in U.S. stocks; its group also includes global funds with 20% to 75% in the U.S. Sector funds, which hold one industry, are counted separately. Each placement is made [from the fund's own filings and holdings](https://etfiq.com/methodology/categories), not from its name.

The international group covers a wide range: developed-market funds, emerging-market funds, regional funds such as Europe or Asia, and single-country funds. Our article on [international and emerging market ETFs](https://www.vistashares.com/international-and-emerging-market-etfs/) explains the main types.

## How many funds are there, and how large?

ETFIQ counted [1,059 U.S. stock ETFs and 656 international stock ETFs](https://etfiq.com/stocks/) as of November 12, 2026, with a further 215 sector funds. The flagship segments show the difference in scale. U.S. large-cap blend funds held a combined [$5.3 trillion](https://etfiq.com/stocks/us-large-blend/) across 342 funds; international large-cap blend funds held [$1.2 trillion](https://etfiq.com/stocks/foreign-large-blend/) across 115.

The largest U.S. large-cap blend fund held $1.0 trillion as of October 31, 2026, more than four times the $228.8 billion in the largest international large-cap blend fund. Among smaller companies the gap is wider still: U.S. small-cap blend funds held [$402.3 billion](https://etfiq.com/stocks/us-small-blend/), about ten times the [$40.1 billion](https://etfiq.com/stocks/foreign-smid-blend/) in international small and mid-cap blend funds.

After large-cap blend, emerging markets are the largest international segment by fund count. ETFIQ tracked [106 emerging markets ETFs](https://etfiq.com/stocks/emerging-markets/) holding $461.3 billion as of November 12, 2026.

## How do fees compare?

The median U.S. large-cap blend ETF charged [0.35% a year](https://etfiq.com/stocks/us-large-blend/) as of November 12, 2026, close to the [0.39%](https://etfiq.com/stocks/foreign-large-blend/) median for international large-cap blend ETFs. Emerging markets funds had a median of [0.49%](https://etfiq.com/stocks/emerging-markets/).

The largest funds in both groups charge far less than these medians, since a median counts every fund equally and is pulled up by small or specialized funds. ICI put the asset-weighted average expense ratio for index equity ETFs at 0.14% in 2025.[1]

## Where has money been flowing?

In the week to November 11, 2026, U.S. large-cap blend ETFs with daily data took in a net [$9.9 billion](https://etfiq.com/stocks/us-large-blend/) across 117 funds, and international large-cap blend ETFs took in [$2.8 billion](https://etfiq.com/stocks/foreign-large-blend/) across 43 funds. Across all stock ETFs, ETFIQ estimated a net inflow of [$17.6 billion](https://etfiq.com/flows/) for the week.

## What do international funds add?

**Different companies:** an international fund holds companies a U.S. index fund does not, from European manufacturers to Asian technology firms.

**Currency exposure:** most international funds hold stocks priced in other currencies, so a change in the dollar affects their value in addition to the stocks themselves.

**Different risks:** emerging and single-country funds can carry political, regulatory and liquidity risks that developed-market funds do not. Our guides on [core and satellite investing](https://www.vistashares.com/core-and-satellite-investing-with-etfs/) and [rebalancing an ETF portfolio](https://www.vistashares.com/rebalancing-an-etf-portfolio/) cover how investors combine the two. More basics articles are in the [ETF Basics Guide](https://www.vistashares.com/etf-basics-guide/).

## Frequently asked questions

### How many international stock ETFs are there?

ETFIQ counted 656 international and global stock ETFs on November 12, 2026, against 1,059 U.S. stock ETFs.

### How much larger is the U.S. large-cap segment?

U.S. large-cap blend ETFs held $5.3 trillion and international large-cap blend ETFs $1.2 trillion as of November 12, 2026.

### Are international ETFs more expensive?

Slightly, at the median: 0.39% for international large-cap blend funds against 0.35% for U.S. large-cap blend funds on November 12, 2026. Emerging markets funds had a median of 0.49%.

### What is a global fund?

A fund that holds companies worldwide, including the U.S. ETFIQ counts a fund as global when 20% to 75% of it is in U.S. stocks, and includes it in the international group.

### Do international ETFs carry currency risk?

Most do, because their stocks are priced in other currencies. Some funds hedge part of that exposure, which adds its own costs.

### Where are sector funds counted?

Separately. ETFIQ counted 215 sector stock ETFs on November 12, 2026, outside both the U.S. and international groups.

## NOTES

- Investment Company Institute, "Trends in the Expenses and Fees of Funds, 2025," index equity ETFs 0.14% asset-weighted in 2025, https://www.ici.org/system/files/2026-03/per32-01.pdf.
- ETFIQ, Stock ETFs (group counts), https://etfiq.com/stocks/; U.S. large-cap blend ETFs, https://etfiq.com/stocks/us-large-blend/; International large-cap blend ETFs, https://etfiq.com/stocks/foreign-large-blend/; U.S. small-cap blend ETFs, https://etfiq.com/stocks/us-small-blend/; International small and mid-cap blend ETFs, https://etfiq.com/stocks/foreign-smid-blend/; Emerging markets ETFs, https://etfiq.com/stocks/emerging-markets/; U.S. large-cap value and growth ETFs, https://etfiq.com/stocks/us-large-value/ and https://etfiq.com/stocks/us-large-growth/; International large-cap value and growth ETFs, https://etfiq.com/stocks/foreign-large-value/ and https://etfiq.com/stocks/foreign-large-growth/; How each fund is placed, https://etfiq.com/methodology/categories; ETF fund flows, https://etfiq.com/flows/. Counts, assets and median fees as of November 12, 2026; largest fund as of October 31, 2026; flows to November 11, 2026. Pages read November 13, 2026.
- Adam Patti, Chief Executive Officer of VistaShares, is also the founder of ETFIQ. ETFIQ does not accept payment from ETF issuers, and its figures are calculated from public filings and market data.

Adam Patti, Chief Executive Officer of VistaShares, is also the founder of ETFIQ. ETFIQ does not accept payment from ETF issuers, and its figures are calculated from public filings and market data.

## IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This material is provided for educational purposes only. It is not investment, legal or tax advice, and it is not a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell any security. Information is drawn from sources believed to be reliable as of the date of publication, is not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness, and may change without notice. Figures attributed to third parties are their estimates. Projections and forecasts are not guarantees of future results. Investors should consult their own financial, legal and tax professionals before making investment decisions. Investments involve risk, including possible loss of principal. Strategies that use options involve additional risks, including limited participation in market gains, the risk that options do not perform as intended, and changes in distributions. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and on current law, which may change.

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