How do I invest in stocks from developed markets worldwide?

The easiest way to invest globally in developed markets is to invest in a broad market index. This can be done at a low cost by using ETFs.

In this curated investment guide, you will find all ETFs that allow you to invest broadly diversified in developed markets worldwide. Currently, there are 22 ETFs available.

The total expense ratio (TER) of ETFs tracking stocks from developed markets is between 0.05% p.a. and 0.50% p.a..

How do I invest in companies from developed markets?

Investing in the global equity market can be very easy and cost-effective by using a single ETF that tracks a broadly diversified world index that is weighted by market capitalisation.

The most well-known global equity index is the MSCI World. But there are similar products from other providers as well. This curated investment guide allows you to compare both the available ETFs and the underlying indices on developed markets around the world and to select an ETF that fits your preferences best. Currently, the following indices can be considered for a globally diversified investment in developed market equities:
 

• FTSE Developed
• MSCI World
• Solactive GBS Developed Markets Large & Mid Cap

As stated above, these indices only include stocks from developed markets. If you also want to cover emerging markets, you can additionally invest in a global emerging markets ETF to create a simple, cost-efficient portfolio. When doing so, however, you should make sure that none of the countries you want to cover is included in both or none of the ETFs used. You can ensure this by selecting two ETFs that track indices from the same provider. For more information on this topic, please take a look at our article MSCI Vs FTSE: Which is the best index provider?.

Alternatively, you may invest in a single World ETF that covers both developed and emerging markets.

You can find additional worldwide ETFs, some of which focus on specific equity strategies or investment trends, in our ETF screener. Furthermore, we provide you with curated investment guides on various topics, such as sustainable world ETFs and global dividend ETFs.
 

Performance of broadly diversified developed markets indices in comparison

Source: justETF Research; As of 22/03/2025; Performance over 1 year in GBP.

Indices in comparison

The best indices for developed markets ETFs

For an investment in stocks from developed markets, there are 3 indices available that are tracked by 22 ETFs. The total expense ratio (TER) of ETFs on these indices is between 0.05% p.a. and 0.50% p.a.. Depending on the market environment, stocks from a single country can make up large parts of an index. You can find more information regarding the concentration of countries, companies and sectors in the index factsheets linked below.
 

• Properties
• Performance

Source: justETF.com; As of 28/02/2025; Calculations in GBP based on the largest ETF of the respective index.

ETFs in comparison

All developed markets ETFs in comparison

In the table below we have listed the currently available developed markets ETFs. Via the "Properties" and "Performance" tabs, you can find detailed information on these ETFs and sort them according to your desired criterion. More information about the different criteria when choosing an ETF can be found in our article on ETF selection.
 

• Properties
• Performance

Source: justETF.com; As of 28/02/2025