If you're evaluating mutual funds for your investment portfolio or retirement account, this list highlights the best international bond funds to consider now, based on each fund outperforming the Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond Index over the last one-, three-, five- and 10-year periods. This signifies outperformance in both the short term and long haul.
Shaded cells indicate the five best bond funds based on 10-year performance. Of 90 international bond funds at least 10 years old, 29 of them, or 32%, won IBD Best Mutual Funds 2023 awards.
For more details, read the overview article on our 2023 mutual funds study, or see the list of all IBD Best Mutual Funds in every category, including muni and U.S. taxable bond funds, international funds, diversified stock funds, growth and value funds, sector funds, and breakouts of large-cap, midcap and small-cap funds.
All returns are as of Dec. 31, 2022.
Best International Bond Funds
| Mutual Fund | Symbol | 1-year total return | 3-year average total return | 5-year average total return | 10-year average total return | Morningstar category | Closed to new investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benchmark: Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond | -16.25% | -4.48% | -1.66% | -0.44% | |||
| Voya VACS Series EMCD | IMCDX | -12.7 | -1.57 | 1.25 | 2.99 | Emerging Markets Bond | No |
| Virtus Stone Harbor EmergMkts Corp Dbt I | SHCDX | -11.76 | -1.03 | 1.03 | 2.68 | Emerging Markets Bond | No |
| PIMCO International Bond (USD-Hdg) Instl | PFORX | -9.84 | -2 | 0.72 | 2.61 | Global Bond-USD Hedged | No |
| Franklin Emerging Market Debt Opps | FEMDX | -8.86 | -1.27 | 0.88 | 2.53 | Emerging Markets Bond | No |
| T. Rowe Price Emerging Mkts Corp Bd | TRECX | -12.32 | -2.69 | 0.49 | 2.25 | Emerging Markets Bond | No |
| Matthews Asia Total Return Bond Instl | MINCX | -10.11 | -3.01 | -0.13 | 1.96 | Emerging Markets Bond | No |
| DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Inc I | DBLEX | -15.3 | -3.26 | -0.41 | 1.92 | Emerging Markets Bond | No |
| Delaware Ivy Global Bond Fund Class I | IVSIX | -8.82 | -0.73 | 1.07 | 1.67 | Global Bond | No |
| SEI International Fixed Income F (SIT) | SEFIX | -9.2 | -2.94 | -0.14 | 1.35 | Global Bond-USD Hedged | No |
| Morgan Stanley Pathway Intl F/I | TIFUX | -13.22 | -3.73 | -0.39 | 1.35 | Global Bond-USD Hedged | No |
| JHancock Emerging Markets Debt I | JMKIX | -14.84 | -4.37 | -1.13 | 1.34 | Emerging Markets Bond | No |
| MFS Emerging Markets Debt I | MEDIX | -14.88 | -3.56 | -0.56 | 1.3 | Emerging Markets Bond | No |
| PIMCO Emerging Markets Corp Bd Instl | PEMIX | -13.28 | -3.08 | 0.23 | 1.24 | Emerging Markets Bond | No |
| Hartford World Bond I | HWDIX | -3.83 | -1.03 | 0.95 | 1.17 | Global Bond | No |
| Transamerica Emerging Markets Debt I | EMTIX | -13.33 | -3.77 | -1.16 | 1.16 | Emerging Markets Bond | No |
| Payden Global Low Duration | PYGSX | -3.38 | -0.06 | 1.02 | 1.07 | Global Bond | No |
| Guinness Atkinson Renminbi Yuan & Bond | GARBX | -9.2 | 0.64 | 0.66 | 0.92 | Emerging-Markets Local-Currency Bond | No |
| BlackRock Strategic Global Bond Instl | MAWIX | -14.68 | -2.73 | -0.25 | 0.89 | Global Bond | No |
| PIMCO Global Advantage Strategy Bd Instl | PSAIX | -10.33 | -1.18 | 0.88 | 0.87 | Global Bond | No |
| GuideStone Funds Global Bond Investor | GGBFX | -13.72 | -4.09 | -1.37 | 0.79 | Global Bond | No |
| JHancock Opportunistic Fixed Inc 1 | JIGDX | -10.82 | -0.77 | 0.5 | 0.72 | Global Bond | No |
| VanEck Emerging Markets Bond Fund I | EMBUX | -7.22 | -0.3 | 1 | 0.59 | Emerging Markets Bond | No |
| Western Asset Emerging Markets Dbt I | SEMDX | -15.09 | -3.66 | -0.95 | 0.58 | Emerging Markets Bond | No |
| Invesco Global Strategic Income A | OPSIX | -11.78 | -4.04 | -1.41 | 0.49 | Global Bond | No |
| BrandywineGLOBAL Global Opp Bond IS | GOBSX | -15.67 | -3.45 | -1.34 | 0.34 | Global Bond | No |
| DFA Selectively Hedged Global F/I I | DFSHX | -6.24 | -1.64 | 0.31 | 0.14 | Global Bond | No |
| Eaton Vance Global Bond Fund Class A | EAIIX | -11.29 | -2.94 | -1.14 | -0.06 | Global Bond | No |
| RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Debt I | RBESX | -15.27 | -4.11 | -0.69 | -0.1 | Emerging Markets Bond | No |
| PIMCO Em Mkts Ccy and S/T Invsmt Instl | PLMIX | -3.53 | -1.37 | -0.53 | -0.22 | Emerging-Markets Local-Currency Bond | No |
Sources: IBD, Morningstar Direct
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