EFA vs IEFA Overlap

Both funds come from IShares. EFA is an equity ETF, while IEFA is an equity ETF. EFA and IEFA show very heavy overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 83.31%. They share 664 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by ASML.AS, AZN.L, and ROG.SW.

83.3% overlap
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664Shared Holdings
OK
Very High Overlap

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Quick Answer

Both funds come from IShares. EFA is an equity ETF, while IEFA is an equity ETF. EFA and IEFA show very heavy overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 83.31%. They share 664 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by ASML.AS, AZN.L, and ROG.SW.

  • 83.31% weighted overlap across 664 shared holdings.
  • The top three shared holdings explain 5.59% of the measured overlap.
  • EFA and IEFA are closer in breadth than a broad-vs-niche ETF pair.
  • The overlap is mostly explained by the top shared positions rather than sector labels alone.
  • Holding both may add less diversification than the fund names imply.

Data Freshness

EFA holdings
Mar 12, 2026
IEFA holdings
Mar 12, 2026
Overlap computed
Mar 13, 2026
Data source
Financial Modeling Prep

Review the methodology for the overlap formula and refresh policy.

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About These ETFs

ETF A

EFA

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF

Issuer
IShares
Asset class
Equity
Expense ratio
0.32%
AUM
$73B
Inception
Aug 14, 2001

ETF B

IEFA

iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF

Issuer
IShares
Asset class
Equity
Expense ratio
0.07%
AUM
$173B
Inception
Oct 18, 2012

What Stands Out In This Comparison

01

What This Means

Both funds come from IShares. EFA is an equity ETF, while IEFA is an equity ETF. EFA and IEFA are closely aligned. A large share of their portfolio weight is invested in the same companies, especially ASML.AS, AZN.L, and ROG.SW, which means holding both is likely to feel similar to increasing the size of one core position.

02

How They Differ

Both funds come from IShares. EFA is an equity ETF, while IEFA is an equity ETF. Neither fund clearly dominates on breadth, so the practical difference is more about weighting, index construction, and cost. IEFA has the lower expense ratio, while EFA charges more for its exposure.

03

What Drives The Overlap

The overlap is driven by a relatively small set of large shared positions. The top three shared holdings account for 5.59% of the score, which means the result is heavily influenced by the biggest common weights rather than a long tail of tiny positions.

04

When One May Fit Better

Because EFA and IEFA are closer in breadth, the better fit usually comes down to index methodology, issuer preference, and cost. IEFA has the lower expense ratio, while EFA charges more for its exposure.

Overlap Driver Snapshot

Concentration

The top three shared holdings explain 5.59% of the full overlap score.

That helps show whether the score comes from a handful of giant shared positions or from a broader mix of common holdings.

Shared Sector Tilt

Sector tags are not consistently available for the biggest shared positions in this dataset, so this comparison leans more on the specific holdings than on sector labels.

Top Shared Holdings

These are the holdings contributing the most to the overlap score between EFA and IEFA.

HoldingEFA Wt.IEFA Wt.Overlap
ASML.AS2.55%2.19%2.19%
AZN.L1.44%1.24%1.24%
ROG.SW1.43%1.23%1.23%
NOVN.SW1.41%1.21%1.21%
HSBA.L1.39%1.19%1.19%
SAN.PA1.26%1.08%1.08%
NESN.SW1.24%1.07%1.07%
SHEL.L1.15%0.98%0.98%
7203.T0.98%0.84%0.84%
SAP.DE0.97%0.83%0.83%

Why These ETFs Overlap

Both funds come from IShares. EFA is an equity ETF, while IEFA is an equity ETF. The overlap exists because both funds allocate meaningful weight to the same holdings. In this dataset, the biggest shared drivers are ASML.AS, AZN.L, and ROG.SW, which appear in both portfolios and push the overlap score higher.

Holding both EFA and IEFA is usually redundant unless you have a very specific reason to tilt toward their shared holdings. In most cases, one ETF is enough.

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions About EFA and IEFA

What is the overlap between EFA and IEFA?+
EFA and IEFA currently show an estimated weighted overlap of 83.31% based on the loaded holdings data.
How many holdings do EFA and IEFA share?+
They share 664 holdings in the current dataset.
Is the EFA and IEFA overlap high?+
The current verdict is Very High Overlap. That means the two ETFs have substantial duplication in portfolio weight.
Why do EFA and IEFA overlap?+
EFA and IEFA overlap because the same large positions appear in both funds. In this comparison, the top three shared holdings explain 5.59% of the measured overlap score.
Which ETF is broader, EFA or IEFA?+
EFA and IEFA look closer in breadth than a broad-vs-niche pair, so the main difference is more about strategy and weighting than simple market coverage.

How Overlap Is Calculated

A straightforward approach used by portfolio analysts.

Overlap = sum(min(Weight_A, Weight_B)) for each shared holding

For every stock that appears in both ETFs, we take the smaller of the two weights. Adding up all those minimums gives the total overlap percentage. A score of 100% means the two ETFs hold the exact same stocks in the same proportions.

Want the full explanation? Read the methodology page.

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