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 past one-, three-, five- and 10-year periods. This signifies outperformance in both the short term and long haul.
Shaded cells in the table below indicate the five best bond funds based on 10-year performance.
Of 91 international bond funds at least 10 years old, 62 of them, or 68%, won IBD Best Mutual Funds 2025 awards.
An international bond is an investment in debt that is issued by foreign entities. A U.S.-based international bond fund might invest in government and corporate bonds issued in foreign countries.
For more details, read about how the best mutual funds deliver benchmark-beating returns, and see the full 2025 list of IBD's Best Mutual Funds in every category, including bond funds, diversified stock funds, blend and index funds, and breakouts of large-cap, midcap and small-cap funds.
All returns are as of Dec. 31, 2024.
Best International Bond Funds
| Fund | Symbol | 1-year total return | 3-year total return | 5-year total return | 10-year total return | Morningstar category | Annual report net expense ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benchmark: Bloomberg Global Aggregate | -1.69% | -4.52% | -1.96% | 0.15% | |||
| Eaton Vance Emerging Markets Dbt Opps R6 | EELDX | 14.85 | 6.31 | 5.56 | 6.00 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.82% |
| American Beacon DevelopingWldIncFd-R5Cl | AGEIX | 15.88 | 5.21 | 5.02 | 5.64 | Emerging Markets Bond | 1.09 |
| Franklin Emerging Market Debt Opps | FEMDX | 11.82 | 5.58 | 4.44 | 5.16 | Emerging Markets Bond | 1.00 |
| GMO Emerging Country Debt III | GMCDX | 13.36 | 3.72 | 3.39 | 4.99 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.54 |
| Nuveen Emerging Markets Debt R6 | TEDNX | 8.60 | 1.52 | 1.94 | 4.38 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.62 |
| Virtus Stone Harbor Emerging Mkts Bond I | SHCDX | 7.58 | 1.36 | 2.73 | 4.15 | Emerging Markets Bond | 1.00 |
| Macquarie Emerging Markets Debt Corp A | DEDAX | 7.62 | 1.34 | 2.10 | 4.00 | Emerging Markets Bond | 1.04 |
| Fidelity Series Emerging Markets Debt* | FEDCX | 7.89 | 1.25 | 1.57 | 3.99 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.02 |
| Payden Emerging Markets Corp Bd SI | PYCIX | 8.03 | 1.12 | 2.48 | 3.84 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.85 |
| JPMorgan Global Bond Opportunities R6 | GBONX | 3.68 | 1.45 | 2.73 | 3.67 | Global Bond | 0.50 |
| PIMCO Emerging Markets Bond Instl | PEBIX | 7.78 | 0.35 | 1.07 | 3.67 | Emerging Markets Bond | 1.30 |
| Lord Abbett Emerging Markets Corp Dbt I | LCDIX | 6.73 | 0.57 | 1.47 | 3.65 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.85 |
| T. Rowe Price Emerging Mkts Corp Bd | TRECX | 7.34 | 0.36 | 1.22 | 3.58 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.89 |
| JHancock Emerging Markets Debt I | JMKIX | 7.73 | 0.84 | 1.04 | 3.46 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.89 |
| Dodge & Cox Global Bond I | DODLX | 0.57 | 1.22 | 2.84 | 3.45 | Global Bond | 0.45 |
| Virtus Stone Harbor Emerg Mkts Dbt Inc I | SHMDX | 8.90 | 0.13 | 0.94 | 3.37 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.72 |
| Payden Emerging Markets Bond | PYEMX | 7.91 | 0.04 | 0.75 | 3.35 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.74 |
| DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Inc I | DBLEX | 8.19 | 0.15 | 1.44 | 3.29 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.92 |
| Fidelity New Markets Income | FNMIX | 6.78 | 1.12 | 1.20 | 3.23 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.84 |
| MFS Emerging Markets Debt I | MEDIX | 7.15 | 0.25 | 1.21 | 3.22 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.81 |
| Ashmore Emerging Mkts Corp Inc Instl | EMCIX | 8.84 | -2.49 | -1.14 | 3.17 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.91 |
| Transamerica Emerging Markets Debt I | EMTIX | 4.69 | 0.85 | 1.07 | 3.17 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.84 |
| American Century Emerging Mkts Dbt R6 | AEXDX | 1.84 | -0.9 | 0.51 | 3.04 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.75 |
| PIMCO Emerging Markets Corp Bd Instl | PEMIX | 6.30 | -0.51 | 0.67 | 2.97 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.98 |
| TCW Emerging Markets Income I | TGEIX | 7.32 | -0.27 | -0.20 | 2.93 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.85 |
| PIMCO International Bond (USD-Hdg) Instl | PFORX | 5.68 | 1.42 | 1.72 | 2.93 | Global Bond-USD Hedged | 0.75 |
| DoubleLine Low Dur Emerg Mkts Fxd Inc I | DBLLX | 7.20 | 2.88 | 2.38 | 2.90 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.59 |
| RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Debt I | RBESX | 6.92 | 1.56 | 1.74 | 2.85 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.79 |
| NYLI Candriam Emerging Markets Debt Cl A | MGHAX | 6.89 | 0.09 | -0.36 | 2.79 | Emerging Markets Bond | 1.15 |
| T. Rowe Price Emerging Markets Bond | PREMX | 6.17 | -0.19 | 0.29 | 2.79 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.98 |
| Columbia Emerging Markets Bond A | REBAX | 5.98 | -0.68 | 0.49 | 2.73 | Emerging Markets Bond | 1.13 |
| Hartford Schroders EmMkts Mlt-Sect Bd I | SMSNX | 5.90 | 1.15 | 0.33 | 2.64 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.90 |
| Goldman Sachs Emerging Markets Dbt Instl | GSDIX | 6.64 | -1.19 | 0.12 | 2.56 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.86 |
| Macquarie Global Bond Fund Class I | IVSIX | 2.97 | 0.18 | 1.52 | 2.50 | Global Bond | 0.72 |
| Federated Hermes Emerging Market Debt A | IHIAX | 6.06 | 0.62 | 0.84 | 2.45 | Emerging Markets Bond | 1.18 |
| PIMCO Global Advantage Strategy Bd Instl | PSAIX | 3.21 | -0.05 | 1.45 | 2.35 | Global Bond | 0.83 |
| JPMorgan Emerging Markets Debt I | JEMDX | 7.37 | -1.25 | -0.36 | 2.30 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.79 |
| SEI Emerging Markets Debt A (SIIT) | SEDAX | 3.15 | 0.37 | 0.13 | 2.26 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.43 |
| VanEck Emerging Markets Bond Fund I | EMBUX | 3.09 | 2.01 | 2.54 | 2.20 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.88 |
| PIMCO Emerg Mkts Full Spectrum Bd Instl | PFSIX | 2.86 | 0.68 | 0.20 | 2.11 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.94 |
| DWS Emerging Markets Fixed Income S* | SCEMX | 10.89 | -0.21 | 0.50 | 2.08 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.88 |
| Eaton Vance Emerging Markets Local Inc A | EEIAX | -1.23 | -0.41 | -0.92 | 2.02 | Emerging-Markets Local-Currency Bond | 1.13 |
| Neuberger Berman Emerging Mkts Dbt I | NERIX | 2.89 | -0.07 | -0.31 | 1.98 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.78 |
| Morgan Stanley Pathway Intl F/I | TIFUX | 3.93 | -0.77 | 0.10 | 1.91 | Global Bond-USD Hedged | 0.92 |
| JHancock Opportunistic Fixed Inc 1 | JIGDX | 0.42 | -1.06 | 1.19 | 1.90 | Global Bond | 0.85 |
| PIMCO Em Mkts Ccy and S/T Invsmt Instl | PLMIX | 0.54 | 2.08 | 1.13 | 1.72 | Emerging-Markets Local-Currency Bond | 1.09 |
| Hartford World Bond I | HWDIX | 4.03 | 1.4 | 1.00 | 1.72 | Global Bond | 0.72 |
| PIMCO Emerging Mkts Lcl Ccy and Bd Instl | PELBX | -0.78 | 2.41 | 0.24 | 1.61 | Emerging-Markets Local-Currency Bond | 2.02 |
| Lord Abbett Emerging Markets Bond A | LDMAX | 7.13 | -0.14 | 0.32 | 1.61 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.99 |
| Federated Hermes Intl Bond Strategy | FIBPX | 2.89 | -2.51 | -0.52 | 1.56 | Global Bond | 0.00 |
| SEI International Fixed Income F (SIT) | SEFIX | 2.53 | -0.09 | 0.08 | 1.54 | Global Bond-USD Hedged | 1.01 |
| DFA Selectively Hedged Global F/I I | DFSHX | 5.66 | 1.5 | 1.19 | 1.51 | Global Bond | 0.16 |
| Invesco Global Strategic Income A | OPSIX | 3.28 | -0.34 | -0.18 | 1.43 | Global Bond | 1.05 |
| SEI Emerging Markets Debt F (SIT) | SITEX | 2.64 | -0.48 | -0.70 | 1.36 | Emerging Markets Bond | 1.11 |
| BlackRock Strategic Global Bond Instl | MAWIX | 0.45 | -2.92 | -0.27 | 1.30 | Global Bond | 0.54 |
| DFA World ex US Government Fxd Inc I | DWFIX | 1.59 | -3.24 | -1.68 | 1.24 | Global Bond-USD Hedged | 0.20 |
| GuideStone Funds Global Bond Investor | GGBFX | 0.40 | -2.88 | -1.29 | 1.07 | Global Bond | 0.88 |
| Invesco International Bond A | OIBAX | 1.93 | -1.34 | -1.38 | 0.85 | Global Bond | 1.04 |
| Goldman Sachs Emerging Markets Crdt Inst | GIMDX | 7.23 | 1.57 | 0.02 | 0.75 | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.92 |
| Voya Global Bond I | IGBIX | -0.71 | -4.38 | -1.76 | 0.65 | Global Bond | 0.65 |
| Dunham International Opportunity Bond N | DNIOX | 6.39 | 0.93 | 0.99 | 0.62 | Global Bond | 1.74 |
| VALIC Company I International Govt Bond | VCIFX | -1.00 | -4.2 | -1.82 | 0.41 | Global Bond | 0.83 |
Sources: IBD, Morningstar Direct
* Fund is closed to new investors
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