S&P 500 fell -55.2% at its worst — here is every crash since 1993
Peak, bottom, and how long it took to get back to break-even, plus what $10,000 would have been worth at each bottom.
Data as of September 10, 2026
Worst fall on record
-55.2%
October 9, 2007 to March 9, 2009, falling for 1 year 5 months
The 10 deepest falls of 10% or more since January 29, 1993.
- Time to recover
- 4 years 10 months
- On your amount
- $4,481
- Right now
- -2.0%
Back at that peak on August 16, 2012
What $10,000 was worth at the bottom
As of September 9, 2026
In an ordinary year it moves about ±18.5% around its own trend.
| Peak | Bottom | Fall | Peak to bottom | Peak to recovery | Your amount at the bottom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PeakOctober 9, 2007 | BottomMarch 9, 2009 | Fall-55.2% | Peak to bottom1 year 5 months | Peak to recovery4 years 10 months | Your amount at the bottom$4,481 |
| PeakMarch 24, 2000 | BottomOctober 9, 2002 | Fall-47.5% | Peak to bottom2 years 7 months | Peak to recovery6 years 7 months | Your amount at the bottom$5,248 |
| PeakFebruary 19, 2020 | BottomMarch 23, 2020 | Fall-33.7% | Peak to bottom1 month | Peak to recovery6 months | Your amount at the bottom$6,628 |
| PeakJanuary 3, 2022 | BottomOctober 12, 2022 | Fall-24.5% | Peak to bottom9 months | Peak to recovery1 year 11 months | Your amount at the bottom$7,550 |
| PeakSeptember 20, 2018 | BottomDecember 24, 2018 | Fall-19.3% | Peak to bottom3 months | Peak to recovery7 months | Your amount at the bottom$8,065 |
| PeakJuly 20, 1998 | BottomAugust 31, 1998 | Fall-19.0% | Peak to bottom1 month | Peak to recovery4 months | Your amount at the bottom$8,097 |
| PeakFebruary 19, 2025 | BottomApril 8, 2025 | Fall-18.8% | Peak to bottom2 months | Peak to recovery4 months | Your amount at the bottom$8,124 |
| PeakJuly 20, 2015 | BottomFebruary 11, 2016 | Fall-13.0% | Peak to bottom7 months | Peak to recovery9 months | Your amount at the bottom$8,698 |
| PeakJuly 16, 1999 | BottomOctober 15, 1999 | Fall-11.7% | Peak to bottom3 months | Peak to recovery4 months | Your amount at the bottom$8,830 |
| PeakOctober 7, 1997 | BottomOctober 27, 1997 | Fall-11.2% | Peak to bottomunder a month | Peak to recovery2 months | Your amount at the bottom$8,880 |
Depth is measured from the previous all-time high, and “peak to recovery” runs from that high back to it — not from the bottom, which gives a much shorter number.
What S&P 500's own history says
The worst fall was -55.2%, from October 9, 2007 to March 9, 2009 — $10,000 invested at that peak was worth $4,481 at the bottom. It took 4 years 10 months from that peak to close back at it, on August 16, 2012. Today it sits 2.0% below its all-time high.
Computed from daily closing prices with dividends reinvested, snapshotted September 10, 2026.
Try another asset
The tool opens with S&P 500 already loaded. Change the symbol or the amount and it recomputes from the same data.
Crash histories for other assets
History is not a forecast
This page shows what actually happened to a real price series — nothing more. An asset that recovered every time so far carries no promise that it will again, and the next fall will not be the last one. Prices exclude trading costs, spreads, currency conversion and taxes, all of which make a real-world fall worse than the one drawn here. Nothing on this page is investment advice; do your own research or speak to a regulated adviser before investing.
Know what you hold before the next one
My Financial Freedom Tracker follows your actual holdings, your net worth and your path to financial independence — in one place, in any currency.
Create my accountFree Financial Tools
Capital Gains Tax by Country
Enter your gain and how long you held it, then compare the tax across 29 countries ranked — with the holding-period rules that reorder the list.
Compare 29 countriesPortfolio X-Ray
Type your funds and amounts to see the countries, companies and sectors you really own, and where your funds overlap.
X-ray my portfolioUCITS ETF Equivalents
VOO, QQQ, VT and more: the UCITS fund an EU investor can buy instead, with the same index, its fee and the ISIN to type at your broker.
Find the UCITS twinPortfolio Rebalancing Calculator
Set your target mix and a sector cap; see how far off you are and what to buy each month to get back without selling.
Plan my buysPortfolio Expense Ratio Calculator
Your whole portfolio's weighted expense ratio, what it costs each year, which fund costs the most, and cheaper funds on the same index.
Check my feesFIRE Calculator
Calculate your path to financial independence with Coast FIRE, Barista FIRE, and custom withdrawal strategies.
Try the FIRE Calculator