The scorecard
The Nifty 50 (NSE) and the Sensex (BSE) are the two indices every Indian market bulletin quotes. The Sensex tracks thirty companies and the Nifty fifty, but most of the weight sits in the same large names, so they usually move together. How closely, over 27 years?
Over 27 calendar-year periods from the end of 1999 to 19 October 2026, Nifty 50 finished ahead of Sensex 16 times and behind 11 times. The two indices are close: Nifty 50 rose 15.46× and Sensex 14.75× over the period, 10.8% and 10.6% a year. The largest single-year gap was 7.6 points and the average 2.2. All figures are price-index returns, without dividends, using the last close of each year.
Year by year
| Year | Nifty 50 | Sensex | Nifty 50 minus Sensex (points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | −14.7% | −20.6% | +6.0 |
| 2001 | −16.2% | −17.9% | +1.7 |
| 2002 | +3.3% | +3.5% | −0.3 |
| 2003 | +71.9% | +72.9% | −1.0 |
| 2004 | +10.7% | +13.1% | −2.4 |
| 2005 | +36.3% | +42.3% | −6.0 |
| 2006 | +39.8% | +46.7% | −6.9 |
| 2007 | +54.8% | +47.1% | +7.6 |
| 2008 | −51.8% | −52.4% | +0.7 |
| 2009 | +75.8% | +81.0% | −5.3 |
| 2010 | +17.9% | +17.4% | +0.5 |
| 2011 | −24.6% | −24.6% | 0.0 |
| 2012 | +27.7% | +25.7% | +2.0 |
| 2013 | +6.8% | +9.0% | −2.2 |
| 2014 | +31.4% | +29.9% | +1.5 |
| 2015 | −4.1% | −5.0% | +1.0 |
| 2016 | +3.0% | +1.9% | +1.1 |
| 2017 | +28.6% | +27.9% | +0.7 |
| 2018 | +3.2% | +5.9% | −2.8 |
| 2019 | +12.0% | +14.4% | −2.4 |
| 2020 | +14.9% | +15.8% | −0.8 |
| 2021 | +24.1% | +22.0% | +2.1 |
| 2022 | +4.3% | +4.4% | −0.1 |
| 2023 | +20.0% | +18.7% | +1.3 |
| 2024 | +8.8% | +8.2% | +0.6 |
| 2025 | +10.5% | +9.1% | +1.4 |
| 2026 to 19 Oct | −12.4% | −13.3% | +0.9 |
The widest lead for Nifty 50 was +7.6 points in 2007 (+54.8% against +47.1%). The widest for Sensex was +6.9 points in 2006 (+46.7% against +39.8%). In 21 periods both rose, in 6 both fell, and in no period did one rise while the other fell.
What ₹1 lakh would have become
| 30 December 1999 | 19 October 2026 | Multiple | Per year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nifty 50 | ₹1,00,000 | ₹15,46,081 | 15.46× | 10.8% |
| Sensex | ₹1,00,000 | ₹14,75,341 | 14.75× | 10.6% |
The gap compounds quietly. Nifty 50 ended 4.8% ahead of Sensex in total, but its edge came from particular years, not from winning every year. The longest unbroken run of leads was five years for Sensex, ending 2006.
How volatile each one was
Across the 26 full calendar years, the yearly return of Nifty 50 had a standard deviation of 27.7 points and Sensex 28.7 points. Sensex was the bumpier of the two. The year-on-year swing, not the average, is what an investor in a single index actually lives through.
Reading the comparison
- Calendar years are a blunt cut. A year that ends on a peak or a trough can flip a winner, so a different start month would change several rows.
- These are price returns. Dividends are excluded for both, so total returns are higher than shown, by different amounts for each.
- Past leads are not a forecast. With indices this close, the useful question is cost and convenience, not which one to pick.
- None of this is a recommendation to buy or sell any index or fund.
More on these
Source: NSE Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex daily closes, 30 December 1999 to 19 October 2026; calendar-year returns, latest period to 19 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which has done better since 2000, Nifty 50 or Sensex?
Nifty 50. From 30 December 1999 to 19 October 2026 Nifty 50 rose 15.46 times (10.8% a year) and Sensex rose 14.75 times (10.6% a year), as price-index returns, without dividends.
In how many years did Nifty 50 beat Sensex?
16 of 27 calendar-year periods, counting the partial year to 19 Oct. Sensex was ahead in 11.
What was the biggest gap between Nifty 50 and Sensex in one year?
7.6 points, in 2007 in favour of Nifty 50.
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.
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