The best ASX ETFs to buy and hold for 20 years

If you want to build serious long-term wealth, one of the smartest strategies is to buy a handful of high-quality ASX ETFs and simply hold them for decades.

A 20-year investing horizon gives compounding the freedom to work its magic, smoothing out the bumps and capturing the long-run performance of global markets.

The good news for Australian investors is that the ASX offers world-class ETFs that provide instant diversification across many of the most innovative stocks and strongest economies on the planet.

If you’re looking to set up a portfolio you won’t need to tinker with for a very long time, the following three ASX ETFs are hard to beat.

iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

When it comes to long-term wealth creation, it is hard to look beyond the US market.

The iShares S&P 500 ETF tracks the S&P 500 index, giving investors a slice of America’s 500 largest stocks. These are the businesses driving innovation in technology, healthcare, consumer spending, and industrials.

This includes giants such as Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), and Walmart (NYSE: WMT). These companies have shaped global consumer behaviour, created new industries, and consistently reinvested into product development and growth. For a 20-year investment horizon, it is arguably a must-have building block.

Betashares India Quality ETF (ASX: IIND)

India is increasingly being viewed as one of the world’s most exciting long-term economic growth stories. With a young population, a rapidly expanding middle class, modernising infrastructure, and booming digital adoption, the country is expected to be one of the fastest-growing major economies for decades.

The Betashares India Quality ETF focuses specifically on high-quality Indian companies with strong fundamentals. Its portfolio includes leading names such as Infosys (NYSE: INFY), Tata Consultancy Services (NSEI: TCS), and HDFC Bank (NSEI: HDFCBANK). These are businesses benefitting from both domestic expansion and the global outsourcing boom.

India is still early in its economic development cycle compared to Western markets, meaning its long-term runway could be significantly larger. For Australian investors wanting emerging-market growth without taking on excessive risk, this fund offers a blend of quality, diversification, and future upside. It was recently named as one to consider buying by analysts at Betashares.

Betashares Global Shares Ex-US ETF (ASX: EXUS)

If you have your US exposure sorted, then it could be worth looking at the new Betashares Global Shares Ex-US ETF.

This ASX ETF gives investors exposure to more than 900 large and mid-cap stocks across 22 developed markets outside the US and Australia.

Its top holdings include ASML (NASDAQ: ASML), Roche (SWX: ROG), AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN), Nestlé (SWX: NESN), and SAP (ETR: SAP). These are global leaders in semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, and enterprise software.

This fund balances a long-term portfolio by reducing concentration in American technology stocks and increasing exposure to financials, industrials, healthcare, and consumer defensives. It was also recently named as one to consider buying by the fund manager.

The post The best ASX ETFs to buy and hold for 20 years appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended ASML, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla, Walmart, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended AstraZeneca Plc, HDFC Bank, Nestlé, and Roche Holding AG and has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended ASML, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.