21 Best-Performing International ETFs: Ex-U.S., Regional and Single-Country
International ETFs can provide an easy way to diversify outside the U.S. Here are the 7 best-performing ex-U.S., regional and single-country ETFs over the last year.
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International stocks had a big year in 2025, far surpassing the S&P 500's 16% gain. But if you're looking to gain international exposure, buying individual stocks from other countries isn’t always easy. One potentially better option (considering the diversification you'll get) is an international stock ETF — an exchange-traded fund that does the work of researching and investing in foreign stocks for you.
But what kind of international ETF may be best for you? They come in a few different varieties, including global “ex-U.S.” ETFs, continent-specific or regional ETFs, and single-country ETFs. Below, we’re taking a look at the differences between these categories, and some of the best performers from each. All data is sourced from Finviz, is current as of Mar. 6, 2026, and is intended for informational purposes only.
Update: The outbreak of armed conflict in late Feb. 2026 between Israel, Iran, the Gulf Arab states and the U.S. has raised energy prices and caused volatility in many international ETFs. See NerdWallet's article on how war in the Middle East is moving markets to learn more.
Top 7 best-performing ex-U.S. ETFs
Ex-U.S. ETFs are the broadest category of international ETFs — they’re funds that invest in global stocks, but exclude American stocks, hence “ex-U.S.” Below are the seven best-performing ex-U.S. ETFs in the last year.
| Ticker | Fund name | 1-year return |
|---|---|---|
| EMEQ | Nomura Focused Emerging Markets Equity ETF | 76.88% |
| KEMX | KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets Ex China Index ETF | 49.36% |
| MEMX | Matthews Emerging Markets Ex China Active ETF | 48.97% |
| PEMX | Putnam Emerging Markets Ex China ETF | 47.63% |
| EMXC | iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Ex China ETF | 46.92% |
| XCEM | Columbia EM Core Ex-China ETF | 41.62% |
Top 7 best-performing regional ETFs
Regional ETFs invest in stocks from a specific grouping of countries, such as Latin America. Many invest in stocks from a specific continent, such as Africa, Asia or Europe. Below are the seven best-performing regional ETFs in terms of one-year returns.
| Ticker | Fund name | 1-year return |
|---|---|---|
| AFK | MVIS GDP Africa Index | 61.15% |
| ILF | iShares Latin America 40 ETF | 55.79% |
| FLLA | Franklin FTSE Latin America ETF | 53.81% |
| AIA | iShares Asia 50 ETF | 44.15% |
| EEMA | iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF | 30.57% |
| IPAC | iShares MSCI Core Pacific ETF | 26.73% |
| ASEA | GlobalX FTSE Southeast Asia ETF | 24.84% |
Top 7 best-performing single-country ETFs
Then there are single-country ETFs, which, as their name implies, exclusively invest in stocks from a specific non-U.S. country. Below are the seven single-country ETFs with the highest one-year returns.
| Ticker | Fund name | 1-year return |
|---|---|---|
| EWY | iShares MSCI South Korea ETF | 131.18% |
| FLKR | Franklin FTSE South Korea ETF | 123.55% |
| MKOR | Matthews Korea Active ETF | 111.02% |
| EPU | iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF | 105.24% |
| EZA | iShares MSCI South Africa ETF | 62.24% |
| EIS | iShares MSCI Israel ETF | 61.37% |
| BRF | VanEck Brazil Small-Cap ETF | 57.07% |
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» MORE: Best online brokers for ETFs
The author held shares in AFK at the time of last update.
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