VAIPX vs. VTAPX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities Fund Admiral Shares (VAIPX) and Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTAPX).

VAIPX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Jun 10, 2005. VTAPX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Oct 16, 2012.

Performance

VAIPX vs. VTAPX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities Fund Admiral Shares (VAIPX) and Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTAPX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VAIPX vs. VTAPX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VAIPX Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities Fund Admiral Shares	0.30%	6.87%	1.85%	3.83%	-11.92%	5.69%	10.96%	8.16%	-1.39%	2.91%
VTAPX Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund Admiral Shares	0.97%	6.03%	4.73%	4.59%	-2.84%	5.26%	4.97%	4.85%	0.53%	0.82%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VAIPX achieves a 0.30% return, which is significantly lower than VTAPX's 0.97% return. Over the past 10 years, VAIPX has underperformed VTAPX with an annualized return of 2.55%, while VTAPX has yielded a comparatively higher 3.05% annualized return.

VAIPX

• 1D: 0.66%
• 1M: -1.41%
• YTD: 0.30%
• 6M: 0.40%
• 1Y: 2.94%
• 3Y*: 3.07%
• 5Y*: 1.36%
• 10Y*: 2.55%

VTAPX

• 1D: 0.28%
• 1M: 0.04%
• YTD: 0.97%
• 6M: 1.31%
• 1Y: 3.86%
• 3Y*: 4.67%
• 5Y*: 3.48%
• 10Y*: 3.05%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

VAIPX vs. VTAPX - Expense Ratio Comparison

VAIPX has a 0.10% expense ratio, which is higher than VTAPX's 0.06% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

VAIPX

Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities Fund Admiral Shares

VTAPX

Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund Admiral Shares

Return for Risk

VAIPX vs. VTAPX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

VAIPX

VAIPX Risk / Return Rank: 41
VAIPX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 41
VAIPX Sortino Ratio Rank: 36
VAIPX Omega Ratio Rank: 30
VAIPX Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
VAIPX Martin Ratio Rank: 40

VTAPX

VTAPX Risk / Return Rank: 96
VTAPX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
VTAPX Sortino Ratio Rank: 96
VTAPX Omega Ratio Rank: 94
VTAPX Calmar Ratio Rank: 98
VTAPX Martin Ratio Rank: 96

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

VAIPX vs. VTAPX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities Fund Admiral Shares (VAIPX) and Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTAPX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	VAIPX	VTAPX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.83	2.28	-1.45
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.16	3.41	-2.25
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	1.49	-0.34
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.38	4.65	-3.28
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.17	14.74	-10.57
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VAIPX vs. VTAPX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VAIPX Sharpe Ratio is 0.83, which is lower than the VTAPX Sharpe Ratio of 2.28. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VAIPX and VTAPX, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	VAIPX	VTAPX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.83	2.28	-1.45
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.23	1.31	-1.08
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.48	1.37	-0.89
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.51	1.04	-0.54

Correlation

The correlation between VAIPX and VTAPX is 0.81, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

VAIPX vs. VTAPX - Dividend Comparison

VAIPX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.46%, more than VTAPX's 3.55% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VAIPX Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities Fund Admiral Shares	4.46%	4.74%	4.17%	4.31%	8.45%	5.13%	1.38%	2.29%	3.12%	2.41%	3.49%	0.88%
VTAPX Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund Admiral Shares	3.55%	3.78%	2.68%	2.84%	6.82%	4.67%	1.19%	1.94%	2.45%	1.52%	0.76%	0.00%

Drawdowns

VAIPX vs. VTAPX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VAIPX drawdown since its inception was -15.04%, which is greater than VTAPX's maximum drawdown of -5.33%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VAIPX and VTAPX.

Drawdown Indicators

	VAIPX	VTAPX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-15.04%	-5.33%	-9.71%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.85%	-0.92%	-1.93%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-14.40%	-5.33%	-9.07%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-14.40%	-5.33%	-9.07%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.41%	-0.28%	-1.13%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.84%	-1.04%	-2.80%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.94%	0.29%	+0.65%

Volatility

VAIPX vs. VTAPX - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities Fund Admiral Shares (VAIPX) has a higher volatility of 1.42% compared to Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTAPX) at 0.59%. This indicates that VAIPX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VTAPX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VAIPX	VTAPX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.42%	0.59%	+0.83%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.28%	0.96%	+1.32%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.11%	1.79%	+2.32%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.00%	2.67%	+3.33%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	5.34%	2.23%	+3.11%