EFA vs VEA Overlap

EFA is an equity ETF from IShares, while VEA is an equity ETF from Vanguard. EFA and VEA show heavy overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 64.24%. They share 629 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by ASML.AS, ROG.SW, and HSBA.L.

64.2% overlap
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629Shared Holdings
OK
High Overlap

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Quick Answer

EFA is an equity ETF from IShares, while VEA is an equity ETF from Vanguard. EFA and VEA show heavy overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 64.24%. They share 629 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by ASML.AS, ROG.SW, and HSBA.L.

  • 64.24% weighted overlap across 629 shared holdings.
  • The top three shared holdings explain 6.08% of the measured overlap.
  • EFA and VEA 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
VEA 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

VEA

Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF

Issuer
Vanguard
Asset class
International Equity
Expense ratio
0.03%
AUM
$287B
Inception
Jul 20, 2007

What Stands Out In This Comparison

01

What This Means

EFA is an equity ETF from IShares, while VEA is an equity ETF from Vanguard. EFA and VEA share a large chunk of the same portfolio weight. The overlap is driven by positions like ASML.AS, ROG.SW, and HSBA.L, so owning both may not diversify your stock exposure as much as the fund names suggest.

02

How They Differ

EFA is an equity ETF from IShares, while VEA is an equity ETF from Vanguard. Neither fund clearly dominates on breadth, so the practical difference is more about weighting, index construction, and cost. VEA 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 6.08% 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 VEA are closer in breadth, the better fit usually comes down to index methodology, issuer preference, and cost. VEA has the lower expense ratio, while EFA charges more for its exposure.

Overlap Driver Snapshot

Concentration

The top three shared holdings explain 6.08% 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 VEA.

HoldingEFA Wt.VEA Wt.Overlap
ASML.AS2.55%1.86%1.86%
ROG.SW1.43%1.05%1.05%
HSBA.L1.39%1.00%1.00%
NOVN.SW1.41%0.94%0.94%
AZN.L1.44%0.92%0.92%
NESN.SW1.24%0.79%0.79%
7203.T0.98%0.79%0.79%
SHEL.L1.15%0.73%0.73%
SIE.DE0.97%0.73%0.73%
SAP.DE0.97%0.68%0.68%

Why These ETFs Overlap

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

Holding both EFA and VEA may add less diversification than you expect. Many investors would choose the ETF that best matches their goal and avoid paying for duplicate exposure.

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions About EFA and VEA

What is the overlap between EFA and VEA?+
EFA and VEA currently show an estimated weighted overlap of 64.24% based on the loaded holdings data.
How many holdings do EFA and VEA share?+
They share 629 holdings in the current dataset.
Is the EFA and VEA overlap high?+
The current verdict is High Overlap. That means the two ETFs have substantial duplication in portfolio weight.
Why do EFA and VEA overlap?+
EFA and VEA overlap because the same large positions appear in both funds. In this comparison, the top three shared holdings explain 6.08% of the measured overlap score.
Which ETF is broader, EFA or VEA?+
EFA and VEA 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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