Vanguard International Equity Index Funds

02/28/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/28/2025 05:01

Summary Prospectus by Investment Company (Form 497K)

 
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap ETF
Summary Prospectus
 February 28, 2025
Exchange-traded fund shares that are not individually redeemable and are listed on NYSE Arca
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VSS)
 The Fund's statutory Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information dated February 28, 2025, as may be amended or supplemented, are incorporated into and made part of this Summary Prospectus by reference.
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund's Prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund's Prospectus and other information about the Fund online at www.vanguard.com/prospectus and http://personal.vanguard.com/us/literature/reports/ETFs. You can also obtain this information at no cost by calling 866-499-8473 or by sending an email request to online@vanguard.com.
 
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of stocks of international small-cap companies.
Fees and Expenses
The following tables describe the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell ETF Shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and example below.
Shareholder Fees
(Fees paid directly from your investment) 
Transaction Fee on Purchases and Sales
None*
Transaction Fee on Reinvested Dividends
None*
Transaction Fee on Conversion to ETF Shares
None*
*
None through Vanguard (Broker fees vary)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
Management Fees
0.05
%
12b-1 Distribution Fee
None
Other Expenses
0.03
%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
0.08
%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund's ETF Shares with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if you were to invest $10,000 in the Fund's shares. This example assumes that the shares provide a return of 5% each year and that total annual fund operating expenses remain as stated in the preceding table. You would incur these hypothetical expenses whether or not you were to sell your shares at the end of the given period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
$8
$26
$45
$103
This example does not include the brokerage commissions that you may pay to buy and sell ETF Shares of the Fund.
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Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in more taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the previous expense example, reduce the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 17% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the FTSE Global Small Cap ex US Index (the Index), a float-adjusted, market-capitalization-weighted index designed to measure equity market performance of international small-capitalization stocks. As of October 31, 2024, the Index included 4,714 stocks of companies located in 44 markets, including both developed and emerging markets. As of October 31, 2024, the largest markets covered in the Index were Canada, Japan, India, and the United Kingdom (which made up approximately 15%, 13%, 9%, and 9%, respectively, of the Index's market capitalization). The Fund attempts to sample the target index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in common stocks in the Index and by holding a representative sample of securities that resembles the full Index in terms of key risk factors and other characteristics. These factors include industry weightings, country weightings, market capitalization, and other financial characteristics of stocks.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods of time. You should expect the Fund's share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the Fund's performance:
• Stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. The Fund's investments in foreign stocks can be riskier than U.S. stock investments. Foreign stocks may be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. stocks. The prices of foreign stocks and the prices of U.S. stocks may move in opposite directions. In addition, the Fund's target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a particular market sector, which would subject the Fund to proportionately higher exposure to the risks of that sector.
• Country/regional risk, which is the chance that world events-such as political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasters-will adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries or regions. Because the Fund may invest a large portion of its assets in securities of companies located in any one country or region, the Fund's performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of its investments in that area. Country/regional risk is especially high in emerging markets.
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• Investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from non-U.S. small-capitalization stocks will trail returns from global stock markets. Historically, non-U.S. small-cap stocks have been more volatile in price than the large-cap stocks that dominate the global markets, and they often perform quite differently. The stock prices of small companies tend to experience greater volatility because, among other things, these companies tend to be more sensitive to changing economic conditions.
• Emerging markets risk, which is the chance that the stocks of companies located in emerging markets will be substantially more volatile, and substantially less liquid, than the stocks of companies located in more developed foreign markets because, among other factors, emerging markets can have greater custodial and operational risks; less developed legal, tax, regulatory, financial reporting, accounting, and recordkeeping systems; and greater political, social, and economic instability than developed markets.
• Currency risk, which is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in U.S. dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. Currency risk is especially high in emerging markets.
• Special risks of investing in China. The Fund's investments in companies or issuers economically tied to China are subject to the country/regional, emerging markets, and currency risks described above, in addition to unique risks. Investments economically tied to China are associated with considerable degrees of social and humanitarian, legal, regulatory, political, and economic uncertainty. Risks described above may be more pronounced for the Fund. All of these factors, among others, could have negative impacts on the Fund. For example, the Fund may not be able to access its desired amount of shares of companies incorporated in China that trade on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges (A-shares) and/or the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (H-shares), which may cause the Fund to miss out on desirable investment opportunities. Investments economically tied to China may be (or become in the future) restricted or sanctioned by the U.S. government or another government, which could cause these securities to decline in value or become less liquid. If the Fund's holdings become impacted by restrictions or sanctions, the Fund may incur losses. Additionally, the Fund may gain exposure to certain companies in China through legal structures known as variable interest entities (VIEs), which provide exposure to Chinese companies through contractual arrangements instead of equity ownership. Investing through a VIE does not offer the same level of investor protection as direct ownership and is subject to risks including breach of the contractual arrangements, difficulty in enforcing the contractual arrangements outside of the U.S., and intervention by the U.S. government. These risks could significantly affect a VIE's market value, which in turn could impact the Fund's performance.
• Index-related risks. The Fund is subject to risks associated with index investing, which include passive management risk, tracking error risk, and index provider risk. Passive management risk is the chance that the Fund's use of an indexing strategy will negatively impact the Fund's performance. Because the Fund seeks to track the performance of its target index regardless of how that
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index is performing, the Fund's performance may be lower than it would be if the Fund were actively managed. Tracking error risk is the chance that the Fund's performance will deviate from the performance of its target index. Tracking error risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or under other unusual market conditions. Index provider risk is the chance that the Fund will be negatively impacted by changes or errors made by the index provider. Any gains, losses, or costs associated with or resulting from an error made by the index provider will generally be borne by the Fund and, as a result, the Fund's shareholders.
• Index sampling risk, which is the chance that the securities selected for the Fund, in the aggregate, will not provide investment performance matching that of the Fund's target index. Index sampling risk for the Fund is expected to be low.
Because ETF Shares are traded on an exchange, they are subject to additional risks:
• The Fund's ETF Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca and are bought and sold on the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of an ETF Share typically will approximate its net asset value (NAV), there may be times when the market price and the NAV differ significantly. Thus, you may pay more or less than NAV when you buy ETF Shares on the secondary market, and you may receive more or less than NAV when you sell those shares.
• Although the Fund's ETF Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca, it is possible that an active trading market may not be maintained.
• Trading of the Fund's ETF Shares may be halted by the activation of individual or marketwide trading halts (which halt trading for a specific period of time when the price of a particular security or overall market prices decline by a specified percentage). Trading of the Fund's ETF Shares may also be halted if (1) the shares are delisted from NYSE Arca without first being listed on another exchange or (2) NYSE Arca officials determine that such action is appropriate in the interest of a fair and orderly market or for the protection of investors.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Annual Total Returns
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund's ETF Shares (based on NAV) has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the ETF Shares compare with those of the Fund's target index and a comparative index, which have investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. Returns for the FTSE Indexes shown are adjusted for withholding taxes applicable to U.S.-based mutual funds organized as Delaware statutory trusts.
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Keep in mind that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on our website at vanguard.com/performance.
Annual Total Returns - Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares  
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest and lowest returns for a calendar quarter were: 
Total Return
Quarter
Highest
24.10
%
June 30, 2020
Lowest
-29.68
%
March 31, 2020
Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2024 
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap Index Fund
ETF Shares
Based on NAV
Return Before Taxes
2.67
%
3.32
%
4.72
%
Return After Taxes on Distributions
1.83
2.63
3.94
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
2.15
2.52
3.58
Based on Market Price
Return Before Taxes
2.88
3.38
4.75
FTSE Global Small Cap ex US Index
(reflects no deduction for fees or expenses)
2.99
%
3.36
%
4.61
%
FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index
(reflects no deduction for fees or expenses)
5.52
4.42
5.13
Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown in the preceding table. When after-tax returns are calculated, it is assumed that the shareholder was in the highest individual federal marginal income tax bracket at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains or upon redemption. State and local income taxes are not reflected in the calculations. Please note that after-tax returns are not relevant for a shareholder who holds fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan. Also, figures captioned Return After Taxes
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on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other figures for the same period if a capital loss occurs upon redemption and results in an assumed tax deduction for the shareholder.
Investment Advisor
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard)
Portfolio Managers
Nicole Brubaker, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. She has co-managed the Fund since February 2025.
Jeffrey D. Miller, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. He has managed the Fund since 2015 (co-managed since 2016).
Michael Perre, Principal of Vanguard. He has co-managed the Fund since 2016.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
ETF Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through a brokerage firm. The price you pay or receive for ETF Shares will be the prevailing market price, which may be more (premium) or less (discount) than the NAV of the shares. The brokerage firm may charge you a commission to execute the transaction. Unless imposed by your brokerage firm, there is no minimum dollar amount you must invest and no minimum number of shares you must buy. ETF Shares of the Fund cannot be directly purchased from or redeemed with the Fund, except by certain authorized broker-dealers. These broker-dealers may purchase and redeem ETF Shares only in large blocks (Creation Units), typically in exchange for baskets of securities.
An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase ETF Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for ETF Shares (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (bid-ask spread). Recent information, including information on the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, is available online at vanguard.com.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply. You should consult your own tax advisor with respect to any particular U.S. or non-U.S. tax consequences of your investment in the Fund.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its investment advisor do not pay financial intermediaries for sales of Fund shares.
London Stock Exchange Group companies include FTSE International Limited ("FTSE"), Frank Russell Company ("Russell"), MTS Next Limited ("MTS"), and FTSE TMX Global Debt Capital Markets Inc. ("FTSE TMX"). All rights reserved. "FTSE®", "Russell®", "MTS®", "FTSE TMX®" and "FTSE Russell" and other service marks and trademarks related to the FTSE or Russell indexes are trademarks of the London Stock Exchange Group companies and are used by FTSE, MTS, FTSE TMX and Russell under license. All information is provided for information purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure that all information given in this publication is accurate, but no responsibility or liability can be accepted by the London Stock Exchange Group companies nor its licensors for any errors or for any loss from use of this publication. Neither the London Stock Exchange Group companies nor any of their licensors make any claim, prediction, warranty or representation whatsoever, expressly or impliedly, either as to the results to be obtained from the use of the Indices or the fitness or suitability of the Indices for any particular purpose to which they might be put. The London Stock Exchange Group companies do not provide investment advice and nothing in this document should be taken as constituting financial or investment advice. The London Stock Exchange Group companies make no representation regarding the advisability of investing in any asset. A decision to invest in any such asset should not be made in reliance on any information herein. Indexes cannot be invested in directly. Inclusion of an asset in an index is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold that asset. The general information contained in this publication should not be acted upon without obtaining specific legal, tax, and investment advice from a licensed professional. No part of this information may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the London Stock Exchange Group companies. Distribution of the London Stock Exchange Group companies' index values and the use of their indexes to create financial products require a license with FTSE, FTSE TMX, MTS and/or Russell and/or its licensors.
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares-Fund Number 3184
To request additional information about the Fund, please visit vanguard.com or contact us at 866-499-8473.
© 2025 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.
SP 3184 022025

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