VTIP vs. VGSH

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF (VTIP) and Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH).

VTIP and VGSH are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VTIP is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) 0-5 Year Index. It was launched on Oct 12, 2012. VGSH is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. It was launched on Nov 19, 2009. Both VTIP and VGSH are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

VTIP vs. VGSH - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF (VTIP) and Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VTIP vs. VGSH - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VTIP Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF	0.99%	6.07%	4.74%	4.62%	-2.94%	5.36%	4.95%	4.86%	0.56%	0.82%
VGSH Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF	0.28%	5.07%	4.00%	4.31%	-3.86%	-0.60%	3.04%	3.52%	1.55%	0.04%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VTIP achieves a 0.99% return, which is significantly higher than VGSH's 0.28% return. Over the past 10 years, VTIP has outperformed VGSH with an annualized return of 3.07%, while VGSH has yielded a comparatively lower 1.74% annualized return.

VTIP

• 1D: 0.02%
• 1M: 0.10%
• YTD: 0.99%
• 6M: 1.37%
• 1Y: 3.94%
• 3Y*: 4.66%
• 5Y*: 3.48%
• 10Y*: 3.07%

VGSH

• 1D: 0.09%
• 1M: -0.49%
• YTD: 0.28%
• 6M: 1.37%
• 1Y: 3.75%
• 3Y*: 3.98%
• 5Y*: 1.79%
• 10Y*: 1.74%

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

VTIP vs. VGSH - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both VTIP and VGSH have an expense ratio of 0.03%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

VTIP

Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF

VGSH

Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF

Return for Risk

VTIP vs. VGSH — Risk / Return Rank

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

VTIP

VTIP Risk / Return Rank: 94
VTIP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 93
VTIP Sortino Ratio Rank: 96
VTIP Omega Ratio Rank: 95
VTIP Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
VTIP Martin Ratio Rank: 93

VGSH

VGSH Risk / Return Rank: 97
VGSH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
VGSH Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
VGSH Omega Ratio Rank: 97
VGSH Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
VGSH 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.

VTIP vs. VGSH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF (VTIP) and Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH). 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.

	VTIP	VGSH	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.09	2.62	-0.53
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.15	4.21	-1.07
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.44	1.57	-0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.11	4.26	-0.15
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	13.24	16.28	-3.04
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VTIP vs. VGSH - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VTIP Sharpe Ratio is 2.09, which is comparable to the VGSH Sharpe Ratio of 2.62. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VTIP and VGSH, 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

	VTIP	VGSH	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.09	2.62	-0.53
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.26	0.92	+0.34
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	1.12	1.11	+0.02
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.87	1.02	-0.14

Correlation

The correlation between VTIP and VGSH is 0.56, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

VTIP vs. VGSH - Dividend Comparison

VTIP's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.77%, less than VGSH's 3.95% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VTIP Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF	3.77%	3.81%	2.70%	2.86%	6.84%	4.68%	1.20%	1.95%	2.45%	1.52%	0.76%	0.00%
VGSH Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF	3.95%	4.00%	4.18%	3.31%	1.15%	0.66%	1.74%	2.28%	1.79%	1.10%	0.84%	0.69%

Drawdowns

VTIP vs. VGSH - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VTIP drawdown since its inception was -6.27%, which is greater than VGSH's maximum drawdown of -5.70%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VTIP and VGSH.

Drawdown Indicators

	VTIP	VGSH	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-6.27%	-5.70%	-0.57%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-0.98%	-0.88%	-0.10%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-5.50%	-5.70%	+0.20%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-6.27%	-5.70%	-0.57%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.26%	-0.49%	+0.23%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.05%	-0.60%	-0.45%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.30%	0.23%	+0.07%

Volatility

VTIP vs. VGSH - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF (VTIP) has a higher volatility of 0.60% compared to Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH) at 0.52%. This indicates that VTIP's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VGSH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VTIP	VGSH	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.60%	0.52%	+0.08%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	0.97%	0.84%	+0.13%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.90%	1.44%	+0.46%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	2.78%	1.96%	+0.82%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	2.74%	1.57%	+1.17%