Bitcoin average return, best months and biggest falls since 2014
12 years of daily prices in numbers: the average year, the best and worst months, every big fall and how long the recovery took. Prices to 14 October 2026.
Bitcoin in US dollars. It trades every day of the week, so its figures include weekends.
On 14 October 2026, Bitcoin stood 34.6% below its record close, on 6 October 2025. Over the past twelve months its highest close was 95% above its lowest.
How far Bitcoin stood below its record high, week by week since 2014
Bitcoin average return over the last 5 and 10 years
Over the last 10 years Bitcoin rose 62.4% a year on average, +12,637% in total. The table shows the average yearly return for each span up to 14 October 2026.
| Period | From | A year on average | In total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last 1 year | 14 Oct 2025 | −27.9% | −28% |
| Last 3 years | 14 Oct 2023 | +44.8% | +204% |
| Last 5 years | 14 Oct 2021 | +7.3% | +42% |
| Last 10 years | 14 Oct 2016 | +62.4% | +12,637% |
The average year
From 2015 to 2025, Bitcoin rose in 8 of 11 calendar years. The average year gained +192.2% and the median year +92.2%. The best year was 2017 (+1,368.9%), the worst 2018 (−73.6%). This year to 14 October: −6.8%.
* Year to date.
Best and worst months
October has been the strongest month on average (+16.6%, higher in 9 of 12 years) and January the weakest (−1.2%, higher in 6 of 12). The gaps between months are small next to the swings inside any single month, so read them as tendencies, not rules.
Average change of Bitcoin by calendar month, 2014–2025
The biggest falls, and how long the way back took
The deepest fall since 2014 took Bitcoin 83.4% below its high of 16 December 2017. It hit bottom on 15 December 2018 after 12 months, and it took another 2.0 years to close above the old high again, on 30 November 2020.
| High | Low | Fall | Fall took | Back at the high | Recovery took |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Dec 2017 | 15 Dec 2018 | −83.4% | 12 months | 30 Nov 2020 | 2.0 years |
| 8 Nov 2021 | 21 Nov 2022 | −76.6% | 12 months | 4 Mar 2024 | 15 months |
| 17 Sep 2014 | 14 Jan 2015 | −61.1% | 4 months | 15 Dec 2015 | 11 months |
| 13 Apr 2021 | 20 Jul 2021 | −53.1% | 3 months | 19 Oct 2021 | 3 months |
| 6 Oct 2025 | 30 Jun 2026 | −53.1% | 9 months | not yet | 3 months so far |
How much it moves in a day
On a typical day Bitcoin closes about 1.4% higher or lower. A move of more than 2% happened on 39% of trading days, and a move of more than 5% 512 times in 4,410 days. The largest rise was +25.2% on 7 December 2017; the largest fall −37.2% on 12 March 2020.
| Day | Average change | Days higher | Days counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | +0.49% | 54% | 630 |
| Tuesday | +0.05% | 50% | 630 |
| Wednesday | +0.25% | 51% | 630 |
| Thursday | 0.00% | 50% | 630 |
| Friday | +0.21% | 54% | 630 |
| Saturday | +0.17% | 56% | 630 |
| Sunday | +0.07% | 51% | 630 |
Differences between weekdays are small and change from decade to decade. They are not a reason to trade on a given day.
Questions people ask
What is the best month for Bitcoin?
No month is reliable. Since 2014, October has been the strongest on average (+16.6%, higher in 9 of 12 years) and January the weakest.
What is the average return of Bitcoin over the last 10 years?
+62.4% a year from 14 October 2016 to 14 October 2026, +12,637% in total.
How much has Bitcoin gained since 2014?
From 17 September 2014 to 14 October 2026: +17,734% in total, or +53.6% a year.
What was the biggest fall in Bitcoin?
−83.4% from 16 December 2017 to 15 December 2018; it was back at its high on 30 November 2020.
How much does Bitcoin move in a day?
About 1.4% on a typical day. Days with a move of more than 2% made up 39% of all trading days since 2014.
About these numbers
Prices in US dollars, every day of the week. Daily closing prices from 17 September 2014 to 14 October 2026. Before use, the series was checked for gaps and for jumps that are data errors rather than market moves.
This page describes past prices. It is not advice to buy or sell anything.