How the S&P 500 Performed During Major Market Crashes

1 Credit

Like spectacular market peaks, market crashes have been a persistent feature of the S&P 500 throughout time.

Still, the forces underpinning each rise and fall are often less clear. Take the COVID-19 crash, for example. Despite lagging economic growth and historic unemployment levels, the S&P 500 bounced back 47% in just five months, in a stunning reversal.

Drawing data from Macrotrends, this infographic compares six historic market crashes—examining the length of their recoveries and the contextual factors influencing their durations.

For editorial use only.

Visualization type: Area Chart

How the S&P 500 Performed During Major Market Crashes

Like spectacular market peaks, market crashes have been a persistent feature of the S&P 500 throughout time.

Still, the forces underpinning each rise and fall are often less clear. Take the COVID-19 crash, for example. Despite lagging economic growth and historic unemployment levels, the S&P 500 bounced back 47% in just five months, in a stunning reversal.

Drawing data from Macrotrends, this infographic compares six historic market crashes—examining the length of their recoveries and the contextual factors influencing their durations.


First published: August 5, 2020 (link)

Source files included: .ai, .eps, .pdf

Data source: Britannica, Investopedia, Bureau of Labor Statistics, University of Notre Dame, Washington Post

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Full License (1 Credit)