Top 10 Asia ETFs to watch in 2026

Asia-Pacific ETFs hold equities from markets across the region, with each fund tracking a benchmark tied to a specific country or a broader cluster of economies. All 10 funds in this list trade on U.S. exchanges, and annual management fees run from 0.07% – for Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF ($VPL) – to 0.61%.

How we built this list: We selected these funds based on their industry or investment category and ordered them by assets under management. Prices are updated daily, and the list and supporting content are reviewed roughly every quarter. All data is sourced from Stake. This list isn't a recommendation and isn't ordered by suitability.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Source: Stake market data. Figures in US$. Data updated as of 29 September 2026.

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1. iShares MSCI Japan ETF ($EWJ)

iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ) share price over the last year: started at US$80.51, ended at US$96.51, a change of +19.9%. Range over the period: high US$98.78, low US$78.36. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$96.51 · Daily: -0.3% · AUM: US$23.13B · MER: 0.49%

The iShares MSCI Japan ETF ($EWJ) is designed to track the MSCI Japan Index, which covers publicly traded securities across the Japanese equity market. The index is intended to reflect the broad performance of Japanese-listed companies rather than a narrow slice of the market.

$EWJ is one of the longer-established country-specific funds in this list, giving it a track record that stretches back well before more recent regional ETF launches. The fund is managed by BlackRock under the iShares brand. Its year-to-date return reflects how Japanese equities have moved over that period, with no forward-looking implication built in.

2. Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF ($VPL)

Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF (VPL) share price over the last year: started at US$88.07, ended at US$116.19, a change of +31.9%. Range over the period: high US$120.73, low US$86.12. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$116.19 · Daily: 0.2% · AUM: US$8.61B · MER: 0.07%

Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF ($VPL) is designed to track the FTSE Developed Asia Pacific All Cap Index, which covers common stocks issued by companies in the major developed markets of the Pacific region. The fund aims to replicate that benchmark by investing across the full index – small, mid and large caps included.

The 'All Cap' construction means $VPL casts a wider net than funds limited to large-company names alone. That broader coverage pulls in a wider range of Pacific-region businesses, from household-name multinationals down to smaller listed companies in the same markets.

3. iShares MSCI China ETF ($MCHI)

iShares MSCI China ETF (MCHI) share price over the last year: started at US$65.53, ended at US$52.10, a change of −20.5%. Range over the period: high US$66.99, low US$50.48. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$52.10 · Daily: -0.8% · AUM: US$6.02B · MER: 0.59%

iShares MSCI China ETF ($MCHI) is designed to track an index of Chinese equities available to international investors. At least 90% of its assets, according to the fund's mandate, go into securities from that underlying index or depositary receipts representing those securities – a structure that aims to replicate the index's composition as closely as possible. The result is a fund that concentrates entirely on China, covering the publicly accessible slice of one of the world's larger equity markets.

4. iShares MSCI India ETF ($INDA)

iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA) share price over the last year: started at US$52.16, ended at US$46.94, a change of −10.0%. Range over the period: high US$55.29, low US$45.42. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$46.94 · Daily: -0.3% · AUM: US$5.83B · MER: 0.61%

The iShares MSCI India ETF ($INDA) is designed to track the MSCI India Index, which covers equity securities representing the top 85% of the Indian securities market by market capitalisation. That puts the fund's focus on large- and mid-cap Indian companies rather than the full breadth of the market.

The index provider determines which securities qualify based on their market cap, so the portfolio is intended to reflect the dominant segment of Indian equities rather than a hand-picked selection. For a concentrated single-country fund, that rules-based construction is what shapes everything from sector exposure to how individual holdings are weighted.

5. iShares Asia 50 ETF ($AIA)

iShares Asia 50 ETF (AIA) share price over the last year: started at US$94.25, ended at US$144.07, a change of +52.9%. Range over the period: high US$150.67, low US$91.18. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$144.07 · Daily: 0.4% · AUM: US$4.97B · MER: 0.50%

iShares Asia 50 ETF ($AIA) is designed to track the S&P Asia 50 Capped Index, a float-adjusted, market capitalisation-weighted index covering 50 leading companies across four markets: Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. The capped construction means no single holding can dominate the index, keeping the portfolio from tilting too heavily toward any one name. With just 50 constituents, $AIA concentrates on the larger end of those four markets rather than casting a broad net across the region.

6. iShares Core MSCI Pacific ETF ($IPAC)

iShares Core MSCI Pacific ETF (IPAC) share price over the last year: started at US$73.59, ended at US$84.61, a change of +15.0%. Range over the period: high US$87.14, low US$71.50. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$84.61 · Daily: -0.5% · AUM: US$2.76B · MER: 0.09%

iShares Core MSCI Pacific ETF ($IPAC) aims to track the MSCI Pacific IMI, an index that pulls in large-, mid- and small-cap companies across Pacific markets. That breadth across the market-cap spectrum sets it apart from funds that only follow the biggest names in a region.

The index's components are concentrated in the financials and industrials sectors, so $IPAC's exposure leans toward those industries rather than spreading evenly across every corner of the Pacific economy.

7. Franklin FTSE India ETF ($FLIN)

Franklin FTSE India ETF (FLIN) share price over the last year: started at US$37.32, ended at US$33.73, a change of −9.6%. Range over the period: high US$39.72, low US$32.34. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$33.73 · Daily: -0.1% · AUM: US$2.52B · MER: 0.19%

Franklin FTSE India ETF ($FLIN) aims to track the FTSE India RIC Capped Index, which is designed to measure the performance of Indian large- and mid-capitalisation stocks. The fund keeps at least 80% of its assets in the index's component securities.

The index targets companies across India's two largest market-cap tiers, giving the fund broad exposure to the country's equity market. The RIC Capped structure is intended to limit concentration in any single holding, keeping the portfolio spread across names rather than skewed toward the largest.

8. iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF ($EPP)

iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF (EPP) share price over the last year: started at US$51.52, ended at US$55.20, a change of +7.1%. Range over the period: high US$58.55, low US$48.96. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$55.20 · Daily: -0.5% · AUM: US$2.22B · MER: 0.47%

Four developed markets – Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore – form the basis of iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF ($EPP). The fund aims to track the MSCI Pacific ex Japan Index, which is designed to cover roughly 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalisation in each country. Japan sits outside the index entirely, so $EPP reflects a distinct slice of the Asia-Pacific region rather than a broad sweep of it.

9. VanEck Vietnam ETF ($VNM)

VanEck Vietnam ETF (VNM) share price over the last year: started at US$17.69, ended at US$17.14, a change of −3.1%. Range over the period: high US$19.80, low US$16.34. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$17.14 · Daily: 0.3% · AUM: US$493.1M · MER: 0.59%

VanEck Vietnam ETF ($VNM) is designed to replicate the price and yield performance of the MVIS Vietnam Index, which covers securities of Vietnamese companies. The fund aims to hold at least 80% of its total assets in securities that make up that benchmark.

Vietnam sits outside the more commonly tracked Asian markets – it isn't included in broad Asia-Pacific indices, so $VNM offers exposure that most regional funds don't reach. The MVIS Vietnam Index is the mechanism; the fund's job is to follow it as closely as possible before fees and expenses.

10. State Street SPDR S&P Emerging Asia Pacific ETF ($GMF)

State Street SPDR S&P Emerging Asia Pacific ETF (GMF) share price over the last year: started at US$138.16, ended at US$156.85, a change of +13.5%. Range over the period: high US$160.71, low US$132.40. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$156.85 · Daily: -0.2% · AUM: US$422.4M · MER: 0.49%

State Street SPDR S&P Emerging Asia Pacific ETF ($GMF) is built around the emerging markets of the Asia Pacific region, aiming to match the total return of an index drawn from those economies. The fund is designed to hold the securities that make up that index, along with depositary receipts – instruments that represent shares listed on overseas exchanges and can be traded more easily outside their home market.

The index focus distinguishes $GMF from funds that track developed Asia Pacific markets: the mandate is pointed squarely at economies that still carry the classification of 'emerging'. That framing typically means faster-growing but more volatile markets, where economic and political conditions can shift sharply. As with any equity fund concentrated in a single regional cluster, the range of outcomes is wider than a globally diversified alternative.

Common questions

How can I invest in Asia ETFs in New Zealand?

All ten funds in this list trade on U.S. exchanges, so you'd buy them through a share trading platform with access to U.S.-listed securities. You search by ticker – $EWJ, $VPL, $INDA and others – and place an order the same way as any U.S.-listed stock. It's also possible to buy shares directly in individual Asian companies, though those are listed across separate exchanges in Japan, China, India and elsewhere, each requiring a platform that supports that specific market.

What are the key risks of Asia ETFs?

Some of the key risks include currency movements – these funds hold securities priced in a range of Asian currencies, and shifts in exchange rates affect what purchases cost and what proceeds are worth in NZD. Funds concentrated in a single market, like China or Vietnam, carry more exposure to local policy changes, regulatory decisions or geopolitical tensions than broader regional funds. Emerging market exposure adds further considerations around liquidity and market access, as some Asian markets impose restrictions on foreign investors that can affect how closely a fund tracks its index. Even broadly diversified Asia funds can be weighted toward a small number of countries or sectors, so concentration risk applies at the regional level too.

How do broad Asia funds differ from single-country funds?

A broad Asia fund tracks an index covering multiple countries – the Pacific-focused funds in this list include Japan, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore among others. Single-country funds, like those targeting India, China or Vietnam, are fully exposed to one market's economic conditions, currency and regulatory environment. A regional fund spreads those country-specific factors across many markets; a single-country fund concentrates them.

How do management fees vary across Asia ETFs?

The MERs in this list run from 0.07% to 0.61% annually. The two broadest Pacific index funds – $VPL and $IPAC – sit at 0.07% and 0.09% respectively, while most single-country and emerging-market funds fall between 0.47% and 0.61%. $FLIN is an exception: it tracks Indian equities at 0.19%, compared with $INDA's 0.61% – both target the Indian market but follow different benchmark indices.

Disclaimer

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. When you invest, your capital is at risk. You should consider your own investment objectives, financial situation, and particular needs before making an investment decision. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may receive back less than your original investment. As always, do your own research and consider seeking appropriate financial advice before investing.

This is not personal financial advice nor a recommendation to invest in the securities listed. Any advice provided by Stake is of general nature only and does not take into account your specific circumstances. Trading and volume data from the Stake investing platform is for reference purposes only, the investment choices of others may not be appropriate for your needs and is not a reliable indicator of performance.

Please refer to hellostake.com/pricing for the fees that apply. When you trade securities priced in another currency, currency conversion fees may apply and movements in the exchange rate may affect your returns.

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