Short term treasuries represent the subset of government bonds between 1 and 3 years maturity. They are a low-risk bond option for safe money management.
Asset Settings
Not all short term treasury bonds are the same, and the numbers depend on your local currency and inflation. Choose the target market and home country, and the page will display funds and data that apply to you.
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Index Funds
United States Short Term Treasury Bonds
ETFs in the United States
| Ticker | Provider | Index | Expense Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VGSH | Vanguard | BBG US Treasury 1-3 | 0.03 | |
ISIN: US92206C1027; Dividends: Distributing; Notes: — | ||||
| SCHO | Charles Schwab | BBG US Treasury 1-3 | 0.03 | |
ISIN: US8085248628; Dividends: Distributing; Notes: — | ||||
| SPTS | State Street | BBG 1-3 Year US Treasury | 0.03 | |
ISIN: US78468R1014; Dividends: Distributing; Notes: — | ||||
| SHY | iShares | ICE US Treasury 1-3 | 0.15 | |
ISIN: US4642874576; Dividends: Distributing; Notes: — | ||||
No funds found. See alternatives.
Notes Definitions
- +SCB — Total market fund that includes small caps (85% LCB + 15% SCB)
- +EM — Global fund that includes emerging markets (~90% DEV + 10% EM)
- -CAN — Excludes Canada (or other specified country normally in the index)
- Acc — Accumulating
- Dist — Distributing
Assume there are errors and always do your own research. No listings or links are sponsored. Because they track similar indices, all funds should have similar returns before fees.
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Alternatives
Other options when no short term bond funds are available
- Treasury Bills — T-bills and short term bonds have similar maturities, and some people consider them interchangeable.
- Directly Owned Bonds — Bonds can be directly purchased from the government. For short term treasuries, create a ladder by buying bonds with 3 years to maturity and rolling them over into new ones as they expire.
Definition
The Portfolio Charts short term treasury bond data tracks the segment of the bond market with maturities between 1 year and 3 years. It also focuses exclusively on debt issued by countries, not companies. In the US they are called treasury bonds, but they may go by other names in different countries. For example, they’re called bunds in Germany and gilts in the UK.
Treasury bonds issued by the government are generally considered safer than corporate bonds issued by a company. While the data does not cover corporate bonds, the returns of treasury bonds are usually very similar investment-grade corporate bonds with a similarly high credit rating.
Performance
Since 1970, an investor in the United States holding United States short term treasury bonds earned an average 1.7% real return, with a baseline CAGR of -0.1% over 15 years. Its worst peak-to-trough loss was 20%, and the longest a new investment spent below water was under 26 years.
United States Short Term Treasury Bond Performance
| # | Metric | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| 1.7% | Average return | Mean annual return after inflation |
| -0.1% | Baseline real return (15 years) | What 15-year stretches returned in the weaker outcomes |
| 20% | Deepest drawdown | Worst peak-to-trough loss after inflation |
| 26 years | Longest drawdown | Longest a new investment stayed below what you put in |
| 4.6% | Volatility (standard deviation) | Year-to-year variation in returns |
See this asset in the Annual Returns, Long Term Returns, and Drawdowns charts.
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Data for all markets and home countries
Short Term Treasury Bond Data for All Markets and Home Countries
Everything this page knows about short term treasury bonds, as plain text for readers and assistants that cannot use the controls above: first the performance stats for every market and home country, then every index fund on this page by market and home country. The blocks above show one market and one home country at a time; these tables show all of them.
To open this page on a specific market and home country, link readers to it with ?market=MARKET&home=COUNTRY added to the URL, using the codes shown in parentheses — market codes on the rows of the stats tables and in the Market column of the fund tables, home country codes on the stats tables' headings and in the Home countries column of the fund tables (e.g. ?market=eur&home=deu). Either parameter may be omitted; the defaults are the United States for both. The asset itself is fixed by the page, so ?pk= has no effect here. More in the Guide for AI Assistants.
Short Term Treasury Bond Performance by Market and Home Country
Short Term Treasury Bonds in all 2 markets the data tracks, for all 12 home countries, 1970–2025. Each row is one market; each table is one home country.
United States (usa)
| Market | Average | Baseline | Deepest | Longest | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (eur) | 2.9% | -0.4% | 43% | 31 years | 11.5% |
| United States (usa) | 1.7% | -0.1% | 20% | 26 years | 4.6% |
Australia (aus)
| Market | Average | Baseline | Deepest | Longest | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (eur) | 3.0% | -0.9% | 38% | 30 years | 13.1% |
| United States (usa) | 2.3% | -1.0% | 50% | 28 years | 12.7% |
Canada (can)
| Market | Average | Baseline | Deepest | Longest | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (eur) | 3.5% | 0.1% | 29% | 30 years | 12.1% |
| United States (usa) | 2.4% | 0.4% | 34% | 26 years | 8.7% |
France (fra)
| Market | Average | Baseline | Deepest | Longest | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (eur) | 2.5% | 0.8% | 16% | 21 years | 4.6% |
| United States (usa) | 2.2% | 0.8% | 46% | 26 years | 11.8% |
Germany (deu)
| Market | Average | Baseline | Deepest | Longest | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (eur) | 2.2% | 0.7% | 21% | 24 years | 5.0% |
| United States (usa) | 1.9% | 0.6% | 49% | 26 years | 11.8% |
Italy (ita)
| Market | Average | Baseline | Deepest | Longest | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (eur) | 2.5% | 0.7% | 20% | 25 years | 5.5% |
| United States (usa) | 2.2% | 0.5% | 34% | 26 years | 11.3% |
Japan (jpn)
| Market | Average | Baseline | Deepest | Longest | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (eur) | 2.8% | 0.6% | 33% | 20 years | 11.3% |
| United States (usa) | 2.2% | 0.4% | 61% | 31 years | 12.6% |
Netherlands (nld)
| Market | Average | Baseline | Deepest | Longest | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (eur) | 1.9% | 0.4% | 25% | 28 years | 5.2% |
| United States (usa) | 1.7% | 0.3% | 53% | 27 years | 11.8% |
Spain (esp)
| Market | Average | Baseline | Deepest | Longest | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (eur) | 1.7% | 0.4% | 23% | 28 years | 6.8% |
| United States (usa) | 1.5% | 0.0% | 57% | 27 years | 12.4% |
Sweden (swe)
| Market | Average | Baseline | Deepest | Longest | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (eur) | 3.3% | 1.6% | 16% | 18 years | 8.7% |
| United States (usa) | 3.1% | 1.3% | 38% | 25 years | 13.7% |
Switzerland (che)
| Market | Average | Baseline | Deepest | Longest | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (eur) | 1.3% | -0.5% | 33% | 30 years | 7.2% |
| United States (usa) | 1.0% | -0.7% | 60% | 28 years | 12.2% |
United Kingdom (gbr)
| Market | Average | Baseline | Deepest | Longest | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (eur) | 2.6% | 1.5% | 32% | 22 years | 9.9% |
| United States (usa) | 2.2% | 1.0% | 49% | 25 years | 13.6% |
Short Term Treasury Bond Index Funds by Market and Home Country
Every short term treasury bond index fund on this page: 32 fund listings across 2 markets, available to investors in 10 home countries. Each table is one target market (the region the fund invests in); each row is one fund, listed once with every home country it is sold in.
Home country codes: Canada (can), France (fra), Germany (deu), Italy (ita), Japan (jpn), Netherlands (nld), Spain (esp), Switzerland (che), United Kingdom (gbr), United States (usa).
Europe Short Term Treasury Bonds (eur)
| Market | ISIN | Tickers | Provider | Index | Expense Ratio | Dividends | Notes | Home countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eur | IE00004S2680 | VEGF, VSGF | Vanguard | BBG Euro Agg Treasury 1-3 | 0.07 | Accumulating | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| eur | IE000HARFTG3 | VEGE, VSGE | Vanguard | BBG Euro Agg Treasury 1-3 | 0.07 | Distributing | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| eur | IE00BGJWWY63 | EIB3 | Invesco | BBG Euro Gov Select 1-3 | 0.1 | Distributing | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| eur | IE00BYVZV757 | JE13, J13E | JPMorgan | JPM EMU Gov Bond 1-3 | 0.1 | Accumulating | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| eur | LU0290356871 | DBXP, X13E | Xtrackers | iBoxx EUR Eurozone 1-3 | 0.1 | Accumulating | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| eur | LU0614173549 | X03B | Xtrackers | iBoxx EUR Eurozone 1-3 | 0.1 | Distributing | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| eur | LU1650487413 | EM13, LYQ2, MTA | Amundi | BBG Euro Treasury 50bn 1-3 | 0.15 | Accumulating | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| eur | IE00B3VTMJ91 | CSBGE3, CBE3, CE31, CSBG3z | iShares | BBG Euro Gov Bond 1-3 | 0.15 | Accumulating | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| eur | IE00B14X4Q57 | IBGS, IBCA, IBGSz | iShares | BBG Euro Gov Bond 1-3 | 0.15 | Distributing | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| eur | IE00B6YX5F63 | SYB3, EU13, GOVS, SYB3z | State Street | BBG Euro 1-3 Year Treasury | 0.15 | Distributing | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| eur | LU1650487926 | EGV3 | Amundi | BBG Euro Treasury 50bn 1-3 | 0.17 | Distributing | — | fra, deu, che, gbr |
United States Short Term Treasury Bonds (usa)
| Market | ISIN | Tickers | Provider | Index | Expense Ratio | Dividends | Notes | Home countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| usa | JP3050380009 | 181A | MAXIS | ICE US Treasury 1-3 | 0.01 | Distributing | — | jpn |
| usa | US8085248628 | SCHO | Charles Schwab | BBG US Treasury 1-3 | 0.03 | Distributing | — | usa |
| usa | US78468R1014 | SPTS | State Street | BBG 1-3 Year US Treasury | 0.03 | Distributing | — | usa |
| usa | US92206C1027 | VGSH | Vanguard | BBG US Treasury 1-3 | 0.03 | Distributing | — | usa |
| usa | IE00BC7GZJ81 | TRS3, SYBW, TRS3z, TSY3 | State Street | BBG US 1-3 Year Treasury | 0.05 | Distributing | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| usa | LU0721552544 | UT1USA, UB74, UEFF, UT1EUA, UT1UUz, UT1UZz | UBS | BBG US 1-3 Year Treasury | 0.05 | Distributing | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| usa | LU1407887089 | U13C, US1 | Amundi | BBG US 1-3 Year Treasury | 0.06 | Accumulating | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| usa | LU1407887162 | LYUS13, U13G, US13 | Amundi | BBG US 1-3 Year Treasury | 0.06 | Distributing | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| usa | IE00BF2FNG46 | TRE3, TR3G, TRD3 | Invesco | BBG US 1-3 Year Treasury | 0.06 | Distributing | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| usa | IE00BF2FNH52 | TR3A, TR3X, TRX3 | Invesco | BBG US 1-3 Year Treasury | 0.06 | — | — | fra, deu, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| usa | IE00BM97MR69 | XT0D, XT01 | Xtrackers | FTSE US Treasury Short Duration | 0.06 | Accumulating | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| usa | LU0429458895 | XUT3, D5BE, LU0429458895, XB27 | Xtrackers | iBoxx USD Treasuries 1-3 | 0.06 | Distributing | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| usa | LU1920015523 | XUS1x, XUS1 | Xtrackers | iBoxx USD Treasuries 1-3 | 0.06 | Accumulating | — | fra, deu, ita, che, gbr |
| usa | IE00BYXPSP02 | IBTA, 1159177 | iShares | ICE US Treasury 1-3 Year | 0.07 | Accumulating | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| usa | IE00B14X4S71 | IBTS, IBTSz, IDBT, IUSU | iShares | ICE US Treasury 1-3 Year | 0.07 | Distributing | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| usa | IE00B3VWN179 | CSBGU3, CBU3, CSBGUz, CU31, SXRK | iShares | ICE US Treasury 1-3 Year | 0.07 | Accumulating | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| usa | IE00BD9MMD49 | JU13, J13U, JA13 | JPMorgan | JPM Gov Bond US 1-3 | 0.07 | Accumulating | — | fra, deu, ita, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| usa | LU0950676113 | UT1US | UBS | BBG US 1-3 Year Treasury | 0.12 | Accumulating | — | fra, deu, nld, esp, che, gbr |
| usa | US4642874576 | SHY | iShares | ICE US Treasury 1-3 | 0.15 | Distributing | — | usa |
| usa | CA09660C1059 | ZTS | BMO | BBG U.S. Treasury 1-5 | 0.2 | Distributing | — | can |
| usa | CA09660C2040 | ZTS.U | BMO | BBG U.S. Treasury 1-5 | 0.2 | Distributing | — | can |