The measure
A one-year return answers a plain question: if you had owned the index a year ago, where would you be today? We calculated it for every session from 3 June 2013 to 19 October 2026, the stretch for which our daily Nifty 50 closes allow a full year of comparison: 3,288 sessions. The figures are price returns, without dividends.
How often it was negative
On 570 sessions (17%) the index stood below its level a year earlier. The count by calendar year is uneven:
| Year | Sessions | One-year return negative | Lowest one-year return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 143 | 4 | −2.2% |
| 2014 | 241 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 239 | 63 | −9.1% |
| 2016 | 245 | 121 | −21.0% |
| 2017 | 248 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 246 | 6 | −3.0% |
| 2019 | 244 | 44 | −7.2% |
| 2020 | 250 | 110 | −33.6% |
| 2021 | 248 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 248 | 37 | −6.3% |
| 2023 | 245 | 21 | −2.2% |
| 2024 | 246 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 249 | 37 | −6.0% |
| 2026 | 196 | 127 | −11.6% |
2026 already has the most negative sessions of any year in the table, 127 of 196 (65%). The first one-year-negative close of the year came on 20 March, and by early October the fall had deepened.
Three episodes of −10% or worse
The one-year return was −10% or lower on 134 sessions, all inside three episodes:
| Episode | Window | Sessions | Lowest one-year return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 15 Jan – 13 Apr 2016 | 53 | −21.0% |
| 2020 | 12 Mar – 3 Jul 2020 | 76 | −33.6% (23 Mar 2020) |
| 2026 | from 8 Oct 2026 | 5 so far | −11.6% (12 Oct 2026) |
The two earlier episodes lasted about three months each. The present one has lasted five sessions, and its depth is shallow next to the others: −11.6% against −21.0% and −33.6%. How long it continues, or whether it deepens, cannot be read from this table.
Where the index closed
The latest closes make the position concrete:
| Date | Nifty 50 close | One-year return |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Sep 2026 | 22,620.45 | −8.1% |
| 12 Oct 2026 | 22,363.35 | −11.6% |
| 19 Oct 2026 | 22,888.95 | −11.0% |
The index closed 2.3% higher on 19 October than on its low close of 12 October, but the one-year comparison remains below −10% because a year earlier it was at 25,709.85. Our year-to-date post compares the same date across years.
What a one-year return does and does not tell you
It depends on the start date. A one-year return measured from a peak looks worse than one measured from a few weeks later. The −11.0% would be a different number if the comparison date were a month earlier.
It describes the past year only. For a longer view, our Nifty 50 rolling returns post looks at longer windows than one year.
Investors in funds had a different year. 549 of 556 equity funds have beaten the index so far in 2026, as our fund comparison shows.
Past episodes do not set a path. What happened after 2016 or 2020 is not a forecast for what follows 2026. If you invest through a monthly SIP, our post on what to do with your SIP in a crash explains why the unit price paid matters more than the headline.
Data are daily Nifty 50 closes from the index series held on WealthTicker; no figure here is a recommendation to buy or sell.
Frequently asked questions
How often has the Nifty 50's one-year return been below −10%?
On 134 of 3,288 sessions between June 2013 and 19 October 2026, about 4%. They fall in three episodes: 53 sessions between 15 January and 13 April 2016, 76 between 12 March and 3 July 2020, and 5 between 8 and 19 October 2026.
What is the Nifty 50's one-year return now?
On 19 October 2026 the index closed at 22,888.95, against 25,709.85 a year earlier: −11.0%. The lowest one-year figure in this episode so far was −11.6% on 12 October 2026.
How common is a negative one-year return?
On 570 of the 3,288 sessions (17%), the Nifty 50 was lower than it had been a year earlier. In 2026 that has been true on 127 of 196 sessions. In 2014, 2017, 2021 and 2024 it was never true.
This is commentary on published data, not investment advice. WealthTicker is not a SEBI-registered adviser or distributor. Figures are WealthTicker’s own calculations from public data — AMFI’s fund NAVs and disclosures, NSE’s index and FII/DII files, and the fund houses’ monthly portfolios (how we calculate). They are as of the dates stated and can be revised by their source.
Keep reading
Nifty 50's 15 biggest one-day falls since 1999, and after
The Nifty 50's worst day since 1999 was 23 March 2020, −12.98%. The 15 worst days, the 10 best, and what the index did a month and a year later.
Nifty 50 after an 8% monthly fall: the next 12 months
After 20 months with a fall of 8% or more since 1999, the Nifty 50 was higher a year later 14 times, by a median 23%. The full list.
Nifty 50 by quarter since 1999: which one is strongest?
Since 1999 the Nifty 50 rose in 19 of 27 October–December quarters, the most of any quarter; July–September rose 18 of 28. Full table.