Silver beats gold, stocks and bonds in 10-year returns. Here's the data

In the last 10 years, silver topped the return chart, outperforming gold, equity and bonds. Here is how the asset classes performed, as reported by ETWealth.

Silver as an asset class has delivered a 21.3% return in the last 10 years. Silver is gaining not just from investment demand, but also from its vast industrial usage across electronics, solar energy and electric vehicles.

Gold has delivered a return of 18.5% in the last 10 years. Gold has reinforced its role as an effective hedge against macroeconomic uncertainty. In 2026, gold continues to shine with an 11.7% return as investors prioritise capital preservation over aggressive return-seeking amid global volatility, geopolitical risks and concerns over economic growth.

Mid caps and small caps delivered returns of 16.4% and 13.2%, respectively, in the last 10 years. Mid- and small-cap segments have shown relative resilience, supported by some strong domestic sectors.

Large caps delivered a return of 11.1% in the mentioned time period. Large-cap stocks are facing pressure from foreign investor outflows. In 2026 so far, large caps are down 10.2%.

G-sec 10-year and short-term debt funds delivered returns of 6% and 5.9%, respectively, in the mentioned time period. Short-term debt has ranked third among asset classes this year, as investors opt for capital preservation and liquidity in a volatile environment. Long-term debt has delivered marginal losses, saddled with rising bond yields and ongoing interest rate uncertainty.

Real estate delivered a return of 5% in the last 10 years. Real estate has delivered the weakest returns over the long term. This can be attributed to regulatory disruptions, low rental yields and a shift in household savings towards financial assets.