During the 1929 Wall Street Crash, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost approximately 89% from peak to trough.
The Dow reached a record closing high of 381.17 on September 3, 1929. After waves of selling, bank failures, and economic contraction, it eventually reached a low of 41.22 on July 8, 1932. That fall represented a decline of about 89%.
The crash itself occurred in late October 1929, but the broader bear market continued for nearly three years. The market’s collapse was one part of the Great Depression, alongside falling production, unemployment, debt defaults, and banking distress.
The 89% figure describes the Dow’s peak-to-trough decline, not the loss on a single day. It is also different from the 1929 crash’s famous October trading sessions, including October 24 and October 29.