Treasury par yield curve · 2-year estimated return

How much did a 2-year Treasury note return each year?

In 2025 a 2-year Treasury note returned an estimated +5.34%, or +2.59% after inflation (estimated from Treasury par yields, month-ends through ).

The 2-year Treasury note, estimated return by month and year

Percent, estimated by us from Treasury's par yieldsWhole year: the twelve months compounded. After inflation: the whole year against the change in the CPI-U from December to December

The 2-year Treasury note, estimated return by month and year. Percent, estimated by us from Treasury's par yields. Whole year: the twelve months compounded. After inflation: the whole year against the change in the CPI-U from December to December.
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecWhole yearAfter inflation
2026+0.20+0.55−0.47+0.15+0.14+0.04+0.09+0.24−0.62+0.98––+1.29–
2025+0.41+0.77+0.51+0.85−0.23+0.63−0.09+0.97+0.28+0.30+0.54+0.29+5.34+2.59
2024+0.28−0.32+0.47−0.43+0.69+0.73+1.15+1.05+0.78−0.61+0.40+0.12+4.38+1.45
2023+0.73−0.74+1.77+0.37−0.32−0.49+0.38+0.46+0.07+0.34+1.03+1.30+5.00+1.59
2022−0.79−0.39−1.45−0.59+0.54−0.51+0.30−0.79−1.12−0.18+0.61+0.31−4.01−9.83
2021+0.05−0.05−0.03+0.01+0.05−0.20+0.140.00−0.14−0.36−0.04−0.36−0.91−7.42
2020+0.60+1.00+1.28+0.08+0.09+0.01+0.11−0.05+0.03−0.01−0.03+0.07+3.23+1.84
2019+0.26+0.07+0.68+0.19+0.79+0.54−0.12+0.89−0.12+0.34−0.04+0.19+3.72+1.40
2018−0.31−0.03+0.15−0.22+0.37−0.02−0.07+0.31−0.14+0.12+0.37+0.83+1.37−0.53
2017+0.12+0.04+0.01+0.09+0.11−0.08+0.19+0.13−0.15−0.12−0.20−0.06+0.06−2.01

Each chip is one month. The mark in its middle is zero: a fill to the right of it is a rise and a fill to the left a fall. A longer, brighter fill is a larger change, in five steps up to 1.03 and over; the last two columns have a scale of their own, up to 7.84 and over. Every chip prints its figure and sign. A dash is a month or a year with no figure. A year still running is counted through its last month: . The older years in the closed part below the table have the same columns and the same scales.

Earlier years: 1990 to 2016
The 2-year Treasury note, estimated return by month and year, earlier years: 1990 to 2016. Percent, estimated by us from Treasury's par yields. Whole year: the twelve months compounded. After inflation: the whole year against the change in the CPI-U from December to December.
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecWhole yearAfter inflation
2016+0.66+0.03+0.16−0.02−0.13+0.62−0.12−0.19+0.12−0.11−0.40−0.08+0.55−1.50
2015+0.44−0.27+0.19+0.01−0.01−0.010.00−0.08+0.25−0.16−0.30−0.15−0.08−0.81
2014+0.11+0.05−0.18+0.07+0.13−0.16−0.08+0.14−0.15+0.20+0.10−0.34−0.11−0.86
2013−0.02+0.06+0.02+0.08−0.13−0.09+0.13−0.13+0.15+0.07+0.08−0.17+0.04−1.44
2012+0.08−0.13−0.03+0.14+0.02−0.09+0.22+0.040.00−0.11+0.12+0.02+0.27−1.45
2011+0.11−0.16−0.15+0.43+0.36+0.04+0.21+0.34−0.08+0.02+0.02+0.02+1.15−1.76
2010+0.70+0.09−0.33+0.18+0.48+0.35+0.17+0.20+0.13+0.19−0.18−0.27+1.71+0.21
2009−0.28−0.04+0.44−0.12+0.06−0.28+0.05+0.40+0.12+0.17+0.51−0.83+0.20−2.46
2008+1.90+1.16+0.19−1.12−0.50+0.28+0.42+0.51+0.87+0.99+1.19+0.54+6.59+6.49
2007+0.18+0.93+0.51+0.34−0.20+0.50+0.96+1.12+0.67+0.38+1.99+0.23+7.89+3.66
2006+0.13+0.10+0.15+0.31+0.09+0.20+0.77+0.74+0.54+0.39+0.55+0.02+4.06+1.48
2005−0.13−0.28−0.09+0.57+0.41+0.19−0.36+0.66−0.30−0.05+0.33+0.38+1.33−2.01
2004+0.15+0.49+0.25−1.19−0.24−0.09+0.26+0.72−0.21+0.35−0.64+0.14−0.01−3.16
2003−0.07+0.50+0.16+0.13+0.47+0.13−0.79−0.13+1.01−0.53−0.24+0.58+1.20−0.66
2002+0.09+0.45−0.96+1.19+0.31+0.86+1.49+0.35+0.97+0.22−0.61+1.06+5.52+3.07
2001+1.31+0.76+0.78+0.13+0.50+0.29+1.19+0.59+1.75+1.02−0.54−0.19+7.84+6.20
2000−0.14+0.69+0.59+0.22+0.53+1.10+0.67+0.73+0.87+0.56+1.08+1.36+8.57+5.01
1999+0.30−0.61+0.68+0.25−0.19+0.25+0.28+0.28+0.65+0.18+0.08+0.08+2.24−0.43
1998+1.08+0.03+0.37+0.48+0.57+0.53+0.45+1.50+1.52+0.68−0.42+0.37+7.37+5.67
1997+0.38+0.22−0.14+0.82+0.64+0.76+1.11+0.06+0.80+0.78+0.23+0.65+6.49+4.71
1996+0.88−0.51−0.18+0.05+0.07+0.80+0.31+0.30+0.95+1.09+0.80−0.06+4.58+1.21
1995+1.39+1.43+0.54+0.91+1.81+0.66+0.32+0.54+0.52+0.87+0.91+0.77+11.20+8.44
1994+0.59−0.66−0.59−0.50−0.03+0.17+0.87+0.17−0.29+0.15−0.42+0.10−0.44−3.04
1993+1.03+0.86+0.25+0.57−0.43+0.73+0.15+0.80+0.30+0.14−0.09+0.29+4.70+1.89
1992−0.22+0.13−0.16+0.71+0.94+1.08+1.14+0.86+0.98−0.78−0.34+0.81+5.26+2.30
1991+0.76+0.60+0.61+0.97+0.77+0.16+0.73+1.36+1.18+1.01+1.05+1.55+11.29+7.98
1990–+0.42+0.33+0.15+1.53+1.15+1.25+0.37+0.75+1.10+1.06+1.29––

Observed .

Largest fallOurs

The largest fall of the compounded return, from the end of January 2021 to the end of October 2022, was 5.80 percent.

The numbers behind the table

What were the highest and lowest months and years of the 2-year Treasury?Ours
The highest and lowest month and year of the estimated return of a 2-year Treasury note, in percent
MeasureWhenEstimated return, percentAfter inflation, percent
Highest monthNovember 2007+1.99n/a
Lowest monthMarch 2022−1.45n/a
Highest year1991+11.29+7.98
Lowest year2022−4.01−9.83
What is the average yearly return?Compound yearly rate

1991 to 2025: +3.30% a year. This is the compound yearly rate over the 35 whole years shown, the one rate that, repeated every year, gives the same total growth as those years do. It is not the mean of the yearly figures.

After inflation, 1991 to 2025: +0.72% a year, the compound yearly rate over the 35 whole years in that span that have a figure after inflation.

How are these returns worked out, and what do they leave out?Method, limits and source

Method and limits

  • These are estimates for a bond of constant length, worked out from Treasury's yields. They are not the prices or returns of a real bond or fund, and they leave out costs, taxes and trading.
  • A month-end is the last day Treasury published a curve in that month, which can be up to three days before the month ends. A month appears once the next month's first curve day exists.
  • Each month a 2-year par bond is bought at the previous month-end's par yield, which is also its coupon, paid every half-year. One month later it is valued at the new month-end's par yield for the same term, with one month less to run, and the month's interest is added. The month's return is that value over 100, less one.
  • A year is its twelve months compounded, worked out from the unrounded months, so it can differ in the last digit from compounding the printed months. After inflation, a year is divided by the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, all items, not seasonally adjusted) from December of the year before to December of the year. The index is for a month and the yield for its last curve day, so the two are close in time, not the same days.
  • A month has a figure only when the 2-year par yield is published on its month-end and on the month-end before. A year has a figure only when every month of it does, and the year still running shows its months and a figure through its last month, and none after inflation until both Decembers of the index are published. Nothing is filled in.
  • The par yield is a value on a curve Treasury fits each business day, not the yield of one security.

Source: U.S. Treasury, daily par yield curve rates; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), all items, U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted, series CUUR0000SA0.

Observed .

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