T. Rowe Price International Index Fund N-CSR Certified annual shareholder report (management investment company)

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES
 
 

Investment Company Act File Number: 811-10063

T. Rowe Price International Index Fund, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

(Address of principal executive offices)

David Oestreicher

100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (410) 345-2000
 
 
Date of fiscal year end: October 31
 
 
Date of reporting period: October 31, 2011

Item 1. Report to Shareholders

International Equity Index Fund October 31, 2011

The views and opinions in this report were current as of October 31, 2011. They are not guarantees of performance or investment results and should not be taken as investment advice. Investment decisions reflect a variety of factors, and the managers reserve the right to change their views about individual stocks, sectors, and the markets at any time. As a result, the views expressed should not be relied upon as a forecast of the fund’s future investment intent. The report is certified under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which requires mutual funds and other public companies to affirm that, to the best of their knowledge, the information in their financial reports is fairly and accurately stated in all material respects.

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Manager’s Letter

Fellow Shareholders

International equities fell sharply during the past six months, as European economies weakened and Europe’s sovereign debt crisis intensified. Japanese shares fell only moderately in U.S. dollar terms, as a stronger yen versus the dollar reduced losses. European markets plunged, with government and monetary officials trying to contain the escalating sovereign debt crisis as Italy, with its larger economy, replaced Greece at the center of the turmoil.

The fund returned -16.63% during the six-month period ended October 31, 2011, and -5.27% for the fund’s fiscal year compared with -15.11% and -3.35%, respectively, for the FTSE Developed ex North America Index. The fund gives shareholders exposure to non-U.S. stocks by seeking to match the performance of the FTSE Developed ex North America Index, a broadly diversified stock market index based on the investable market capitalization of more than 1,200 predominantly larger companies listed in over 20 countries.

MARKET REVIEW

International markets were punished when the U.S. government struggled to reach an agreement to raise the statutory federal debt ceiling and reduce federal spending. Market volatility and selling pressure increased further after Standard & Poor’s downgraded the U.S. government’s long-term credit rating in August. Markets in all regions faltered, led lower by emerging Europe. Sector performance was broadly negative and characteristic of a cyclical downturn as defensive sectors outperformed cyclical stocks. Materials, financials, and industrials and business services posted the biggest declines during the past six months. Consumer staples and health care held up better but still delivered losses.

Economists adopted a more cautious stance on the global growth outlook, especially for advanced economies, as the year progressed. In September, the International Monetary Fund estimated global gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 4.0% for both 2011 and 2012. The 2011 forecast for emerging economies was 6.4%, while the forecast for advanced economies was a more lackluster 1.6%.

The focus continues to be on the eurozone debt crisis. Economic data released in September were mostly disappointing, even in the stronger core countries. Germany’s second-quarter GDP grew only 0.1% on a quarter-over-quarter basis versus consensus estimates of 0.5%, while economic growth stalled in France. Second-quarter growth for the region as a whole came in below market expectations at 0.2%. Europe is facing strong headwinds, including severe fiscal austerity measures, household deleveraging, and stress in the banking sector. The European Central Bank cut a key short-term rate after the end of the reporting period.

PORTFOLIO HIGHLIGHTS

The index’s major markets include the UK, Japan, and developed countries in Europe and the Pacific Rim. It is constructed by sorting the market in each country in the index by industry groups and targeting a significant portion of the stocks in these groups for inclusion. The fund attempts to replicate the index by investing in stocks in proportion to their index weighting.

At the end of October, Europe represented 61% of net assets, with Japan and the Pacific Rim constituting most of the balance (see the Geographic Diversification table for a breakdown of regional allocations). Financials was the largest sector at 21.5% of assets, followed by industrials and business services (12.3%), consumer staples (10.8%), consumer discretionary (10.4%), materials (10.0%), energy and health care (8.3%), and other sectors making up the balance.

The energy, consumer staples, and health care sectors held up best during the fund’s fiscal year, with all delivering moderate gains. The worst-performing groups over the year were utilities, financials, and materials, which suffered during the market turmoil of the past few months and lagged over the 12-month period. Among the fund’s top gainers were Royal Dutch Shell, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, British American Tobacco, and UK pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. (Please refer to the fund’s portfolio of investments for a detailed list of holdings and the amount each represents in the portfolio.)

Royal Dutch Shell benefited from the high price of oil during the year, while Samsung Electronics improved its market position as the dominant provider of semiconductor chips and memory products; the company’s smartphones continue to sell extremely well. The fund’s worst performers during the 12-month period were Swiss bank UBS, which lost its CEO because of a rogue-trading scandal; Spain’s Telefonica, a victim of the country’s deteriorating economy; Société Générale, France’s second-largest bank, whose earnings plummeted due to a write-down on its exposure to Greece’s sovereign debt; the UK’s HSBC, Europe’s largest bank, also because of its sovereign debt liabilities; and Lloyds Banking Group, the UK’s largest retail bank, which reported a 27% drop in third-quarter profits.

At the end of October, the portfolio contained a broad cross section of stocks from various sectors and countries. In addition to the companies already mentioned, other top holdings included Switzerland’s Nestlé, the UK’s Vodafone, Australia’s BHP Billiton, Germany’s Siemens, and Japan’s Toyota Motor. The fund is structured to mirror its benchmark index and give investors exposure to the major international markets in the developed world.

INVESTMENT OUTLOOK

The fiscal imbalances and political stalemates of developed markets have created a muted economic recovery from the recession of 2008. The slower growth we expect in the coming months has created a gap between positive and negative earnings outlooks, reflecting wide disparities in company fortunes. On a company level, durability of growth will be tested as cyclical forces become more restrained.

In the face of these ongoing macroeconomic concerns, we retain a positive longer-term view for equity markets, which feature attractive stock valuations and healthy corporate fundamentals. The key risk to our outlook concerns the degree to which the global economy may slow down as a result of falling confidence and austerity measures now under way. We continue to believe that a recession in Europe may already have taken hold—although a double-dip recession in the U.S. is unlikely.

While the current environment is challenging, we think the problems are more political than financial. Banks are much better capitalized, liquidity has improved, and the overall financial system is on much firmer ground than in the recent past. Perhaps most important, downside support is compelling given exceptionally low valuations that include reasonable dividend yields, which are higher in many instances than government bond rates—a historically reliable indicator of equity value relative to other asset classes. In addition, corporate balance sheets are strong and are a source of potential returns through share buybacks for companies with excess cash and high free cash flow. Stronger balance sheets may also act as a cushion should hard times prevail for longer than anticipated.

As always, shareholders should be aware that we do not make investment decisions based on market forecasts or prospects for individual companies. Rather, our mission is to provide investors with low-cost exposure to non-U.S. equities through a diversified portfolio designed to replicate the performance of our benchmark index in all market conditions. It is important to maintain a long-term perspective and include an allocation to foreign securities as an integral part of a diversified investment portfolio.

Respectfully submitted,

E. Frederick Bair
Cochairman of the fund’s Investment Advisory Committee

Neil Smith
Cochairman of the fund’s Investment Advisory Committee

November 17, 2011

The committee cochairmen have day-to-day responsibility for managing the portfolio and work with committee members in developing and executing the fund’s investment program.

RISKS OF INTERNATIONAL INVESTING

Funds that invest overseas generally carry more risk than funds that invest strictly in U.S. assets. Funds investing in a single country or in a limited geographic region tend to be riskier than more diversified funds. Risks can result from varying stages of economic and political development; differing regulatory environments, trading days, and accounting standards; and higher transaction costs of non-U.S. markets. Non-U.S. investments are also subject to currency risk, or a decline in the value of a foreign currency versus the U.S. dollar, which reduces the dollar value of securities denominated in that currency.

GLOSSARY

FTSE Developed ex North America Index: A broadly diversified stock market index based on the investable market capitalization of more than 1,000 predominantly larger companies listed in 21 countries. The index’s major markets include the UK, Japan, and developed countries in Europe and the Pacific Rim.

Gross domestic product (GDP): The total market value of all goods and services produced in a country in a given year.

Performance and Expenses

Growth of $10,000

This chart shows the value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment in the fund over the past 10 fiscal year periods or since inception (for funds lacking 10-year records). The result is compared with benchmarks, which may include a broad-based market index and a peer group average or index. Market indexes do not include expenses, which are deducted from fund returns as well as mutual fund averages and indexes.

Fund Expense Example

As a mutual fund shareholder, you may incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, such as redemption fees or sales loads, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution and service (12b-1) fees, and other fund expenses. The following example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds. The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the most recent six-month period and held for the entire period.

Actual Expenses
The first line of the following table (“Actual”) provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information on this line, together with your account balance, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number on the first line under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The information on the second line of the table (“Hypothetical”) is based on hypothetical account values and expenses derived from the fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed 5% per year rate of return before expenses (not the fund’s actual return). You may compare the ongoing costs of investing in the fund with other funds by contrasting this 5% hypothetical example and the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period.

Note: T. Rowe Price charges an account service fee that is not included in the accompanying table. The account service fee is charged on a quarterly basis, usually during the last week of a calendar quarter, and applies to accounts with balances below $10,000 on the day of the assessment. The fee is charged to accounts that fall below $10,000 for any reason, including market fluctuations, redemptions, or exchanges. When an account with less than $10,000 is closed either through redemption or exchange, the fee is charged and deducted from the proceeds. The fee applies to IRAs but not to retirement plans directly registered with T. Rowe Price Services or accounts maintained by intermediaries through NSCC^® Networking. If you are subject to the fee, keep it in mind when you are estimating the ongoing expenses of investing in the fund and when comparing the expenses of this fund with other funds.

You should also be aware that the expenses shown in the table highlight only your ongoing costs and do not reflect any transaction costs, such as redemption fees or sales loads. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. To the extent a fund charges transaction costs, however, the total cost of owning that fund is higher.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Notes to Financial Statements

T. Rowe Price International Index Fund, Inc. (the corporation), is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act). The International Equity Index Fund (the fund), a diversified, open-end management investment company, is one portfolio established by the corporation. The fund commenced operations on November 30, 2000. The fund seeks to provide long-term capital growth, using the FTSE™ International Limited Developed ex North America Index.

NOTE 1 - SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Preparation The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP), which require the use of estimates made by management. Management believes that estimates and valuations are appropriate; however, actual results may differ from those estimates, and the valuations reflected in the accompanying financial statements may differ from the value ultimately realized upon sale or maturity.

Investment Transactions, Investment Income, and Distributions Income and expenses are recorded on the accrual basis. Premiums and discounts on debt securities are amortized for financial reporting purposes. Dividends received from mutual fund investments are reflected as dividend income; capital gain distributions are reflected as realized gain/loss. Dividend income and capital gain distributions are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income tax-related interest and penalties, if incurred, would be recorded as income tax expense. Investment transactions are accounted for on the trade date. Realized gains and losses are reported on the identified cost basis. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income distributions are declared and paid annually. Capital gain distributions, if any, are generally declared and paid by the fund annually.

Currency Translation Assets, including investments, and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollar values each day at the prevailing exchange rate, using the mean of the bid and asked prices of such currencies against U.S. dollars as quoted by a major bank. Purchases and sales of securities, income, and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing exchange rate on the date of the transaction. The effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on realized and unrealized security gains and losses is reflected as a component of security gains and losses.

Credits Credits are earned on the fund’s temporarily uninvested cash balances held at the custodian and such credits reduce the amount paid by the manager for custody of the fund’s assets. In order to pass the benefit of custody credits to the fund, the manager has voluntarily reduced its investment management and administrative expense in the accompanying financial statements.

Redemption Fees A 2% fee is assessed on redemptions of fund shares held for 90 days or less to deter short-term trading and to protect the interests of long-term shareholders. Redemption fees are withheld from proceeds that shareholders receive from the sale or exchange of fund shares. The fees are paid to the fund and are recorded as an increase to paid-in capital. The fees may cause the redemption price per share to differ from the net asset value per share.

NOTE 2 - VALUATION

The fund’s financial instruments are reported at fair value as defined by GAAP. The fund determines the values of its assets and liabilities and computes its net asset value per share at the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), normally 4 p.m. ET, each day that the NYSE is open for business.

Valuation Methods Equity securities listed or regularly traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) market are valued at the last quoted sale price or, for certain markets, the official closing price at the time the valuations are made, except for OTC Bulletin Board securities, which are valued at the mean of the latest bid and asked prices. A security that is listed or traded on more than one exchange is valued at the quotation on the exchange determined to be the primary market for such security. Listed securities not traded on a particular day are valued at the mean of the latest bid and asked prices for domestic securities and the last quoted sale price for international securities. Debt securities with remaining maturities of less than one year at the time of acquisition generally use amortized cost in local currency to approximate fair value. However, if amortized cost is deemed not to reflect fair value or the fund holds a significant amount of such securities with remaining maturities of more than 60 days, the securities are valued at prices furnished by dealers who make markets in such securities or by an independent pricing service.

Investments in mutual funds are valued at the mutual fund’s closing net asset value per share on the day of valuation. Financial futures contracts are valued at closing settlement prices.

Other investments, including restricted securities and private placements, and those financial instruments for which the above valuation procedures are inappropriate or are deemed not to reflect fair value, are stated at fair value as determined in good faith by the T. Rowe Price Valuation Committee, established by the fund’s Board of Directors (the Board). Subject to oversight by the Board, the Valuation Committee develops pricing-related policies and procedures and approves all fair-value determinations. The Valuation Committee regularly makes good faith judgments, using a wide variety of sources and information, to establish and adjust valuations of certain securities as events occur and circumstances warrant. For instance, in determining the fair value of private-equity instruments, the Valuation Committee considers a variety of factors, including the company’s business prospects, its financial performance, strategic events impacting the company, relevant valuations of similar companies, new rounds of financing, and any negotiated transactions of significant size between other investors in the company. Because any fair-value determination involves a significant amount of judgment, there is a degree of subjectivity inherent in such pricing decisions.

For valuation purposes, the last quoted prices of non-U.S. equity securities may be adjusted under the circumstances described below. If the fund determines that developments between the close of a foreign market and the close of the NYSE will, in its judgment, materially affect the value of some or all of its portfolio securities, the fund will adjust the previous closing prices to reflect what it believes to be the fair value of the securities as of the close of the NYSE. In deciding whether it is necessary to adjust closing prices to reflect fair value, the fund reviews a variety of factors, including developments in foreign markets, the performance of U.S. securities markets, and the performance of instruments trading in U.S. markets that represent foreign securities and baskets of foreign securities. A fund may also fair value securities in other situations, such as when a particular foreign market is closed but the fund is open. The fund uses outside pricing services to provide it with closing prices and information to evaluate and/or adjust those prices. The fund cannot predict how often it will use closing prices and how often it will determine it necessary to adjust those prices to reflect fair value. As a means of evaluating its security valuation process, the fund routinely compares closing prices, the next day’s opening prices in the same markets, and adjusted prices. Additionally, trading in the underlying securities of the fund may take place in various foreign markets on certain days when the fund is not open for business and does not calculate a net asset value. As a result, net asset values may be significantly affected on days when shareholders cannot make transactions.

Valuation Inputs Various inputs are used to determine the value of the fund’s financial instruments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below:

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical financial instruments

Level 2 – observable inputs other than Level 1 quoted prices (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar financial instruments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, and credit risk)

Level 3 – unobservable inputs

Observable inputs are those based on market data obtained from sources independent of the fund, and unobservable inputs reflect the fund’s own assumptions based on the best information available. The input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with financial instruments at that level. For example, non-U.S. equity securities actively traded in foreign markets generally are reflected in Level 2 despite the availability of closing prices because the fund evaluates and determines whether those closing prices reflect fair value at the close of the NYSE or require adjustment, as described above. The following table summarizes the fund’s financial instruments, based on the inputs used to determine their values on October 31, 2011:

Following is a reconciliation of the fund’s Level 3 holdings for the year ended October 31, 2011. Gain (loss) reflects both realized and change in unrealized gain (loss) on Level 3 holdings during the period, if any, and is included on the accompanying Statement of Operations. The change in unrealized gain (loss) on Level 3 instruments held at October 31, 2011, totaled $0 for the year ended October 31, 2011.

NOTE 3 - DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

During the year ended October 31, 2011, the fund invested in derivative instruments. As defined by GAAP, a derivative is a financial instrument whose value is derived from an underlying security price, foreign exchange rate, interest rate, index of prices or rates, or other variable; it requires little or no initial investment and permits or requires net settlement. The fund invests in derivatives only if the expected risks and rewards are consistent with its investment objectives, policies, and overall risk profile, as described in its prospectus and Statement of Additional Information. The fund may use derivatives for a variety of purposes, such as seeking to hedge against declines in principal value, increase yield, invest in an asset with greater efficiency and at a lower cost than is possible through direct investment, or to adjust credit exposure. The risks associated with the use of derivatives are different from, and potentially much greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the instruments on which the derivatives are based. Investments in derivatives can magnify returns positively or negatively; however, the fund at all times maintains sufficient cash reserves, liquid assets, or other SEC-permitted asset types to cover the settlement obligations under its open derivative contracts.

The fund values its derivatives at fair value, as described below and in Note 2, and recognizes changes in fair value currently in its results of operations. Accordingly, the fund does not follow hedge accounting, even for derivatives employed as economic hedges. The fund does not offset the fair value of derivative instruments against the right to reclaim or obligation to return collateral. As of October 31, 2011, the fund held equity futures with cumulative unrealized gain of $61,000; the value reflected on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities is the related unsettled variation margin.

Additionally, during the year ended October 31, 2011, the fund recognized $82,000 of realized loss on Futures and a $49,000 change in unrealized loss on Futures related to its investments in equity derivatives; such amounts are included on the accompanying Statement of Operations.

Counterparty risk related to exchange-traded derivatives, including futures and options contracts, is minimal because the exchange’s clearinghouse provides protection against defaults. Additionally, for exchange-traded derivatives, each broker, in its sole discretion, may change margin requirements applicable to the fund.

Futures Contracts The fund is subject to equity price risk in the normal course of pursuing its investment objectives and uses futures contracts to help manage such risk. The fund may enter into futures contracts as an efficient means of maintaining liquidity while being invested in the market, to facilitate trading, and/or to reduce transaction costs. A futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and purchase by another of a specified amount of a particular underlying financial instrument at an agreed-upon price, date, time, and place. The fund currently invests only in exchange-traded futures, which generally are standardized as to maturity date, underlying financial instrument, and other contract terms. Upon entering into a futures contract, the fund is required to deposit with the broker cash or securities in an amount equal to a certain percentage of the contract value (initial margin deposit); the margin deposit must then be maintained at the established level over the life of the contract. Subsequent payments are made or received by the fund each day to settle daily fluctuations in the value of the contract (variation margin), which reflect changes in the value of the underlying financial instrument. At its election, the fund may also hold additional U.S. dollars and foreign currencies in an account with the broker to settle future variation margin obligations. All cash and currencies held by the broker for initial margin or future settlements are reflected as deposits on futures contracts on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Variation margin is recorded as unrealized gain or loss until the contract is closed. The value of a futures contract included in net assets is the amount of unsettled variation margin, if any. Risks related to the use of futures contracts include possible illiquidity of the futures markets, contract prices that can be highly volatile and imperfectly correlated to movements in hedged security values, and potential losses in excess of the fund’s initial investment. During the year ended October 31, 2011, the fund’s exposure to futures, based on underlying notional amounts, was generally less than 1% of net assets.

NOTE 4 - OTHER INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS

Consistent with its investment objective, the fund engages in the following practices to manage exposure to certain risks and/or to enhance performance. The investment objective, policies, program, and risk factors of the fund are described more fully in the fund’s prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.

Repurchase Agreements All repurchase agreements are fully collateralized by U.S. government securities. Collateral is in the possession of the fund’s custodian or, for tri-party agreements, the custodian designated by the agreement. Although risk is mitigated by the collateral, the fund could experience a delay in recovering its value and a possible loss of income or value if the counterparty fails to perform in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

Securities Lending The fund lends its securities to approved brokers to earn additional income. It receives as collateral cash and U.S. government securities valued at 102% to 105% of the value of the securities on loan. Cash collateral is invested by the fund’s lending agent(s) in accordance with investment guidelines approved by management. Although risk is mitigated by the collateral, the fund could experience a delay in recovering its securities and a possible loss of income or value if the borrower fails to return the securities or if collateral investments decline in value. Securities lending revenue recognized by the fund consists of earnings on invested collateral and borrowing fees, net of any rebates to the borrower and compensation to the lending agent. In accordance with GAAP, investments made with cash collateral are reflected in the accompanying financial statements, but collateral received in the form of securities are not. On October 31, 2011, the value of cash collateral investments was $7,456,000, and the value of loaned securities was $6,721,000.

Other Purchases and sales of portfolio securities other than short-term securities aggregated $115,620,000 and $172,484,000, respectively, for the year ended October 31, 2011.

NOTE 5 - FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

No provision for federal income taxes is required since the fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code and distribute to shareholders all of its taxable income and gains. Distributions determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations may differ in amount or character from net investment income and realized gains for financial reporting purposes. Financial reporting records are adjusted for permanent book/tax differences to reflect tax character but are not adjusted for temporary differences.

The fund files U.S. federal, state, and local tax returns as required. The fund’s tax returns are subject to examination by the relevant tax authorities until expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, which is generally three years after the filing of the tax return but which can be extended to six years in certain circumstances. Tax returns for open years have incorporated no uncertain tax positions that require a provision for income taxes.

Reclassifications to paid-in capital relate primarily to expiring capital loss carryforwards. Reclassifications between income and gain relate primarily to the character of net currency losses. For the year ended October 31, 2011, the following reclassifications were recorded to reflect tax character (there was no impact on results of operations or net assets):

Distributions during the years ended October 31, 2011 and October 31, 2010, totaled $10,710,000 and $10,387,000, respectively, and were characterized as ordinary income for tax purposes. At October 31, 2011, the tax-basis cost of investments and components of net assets were as follows:

The difference between book-basis and tax-basis net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is attributable to the deferral of losses from wash sales and the realization of unrealized gains/losses on passive foreign investment companies and/or certain open derivative contracts for tax purposes. The fund intends to retain realized gains to the extent of available capital loss carryforwards. The fund’s available capital loss carryforwards as of October 31, 2011, expire as follows: $11,710,000 in fiscal 2016, $18,272,000 in fiscal 2017, $10,857,000 in fiscal 2018, and $26,993,000 in fiscal 2019. As a result of the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, net capital losses realized in future fiscal years may be carried forward for an unlimited period of time but must be used before capital loss carryforwards with expiration dates. Accordingly, it is possible that a substantial portion of the fund’s current capital loss carryforwards could expire unused.

NOTE 6 - FOREIGN TAXES

The fund is subject to foreign income taxes imposed by certain countries in which it invests. Acquisition of certain foreign currencies related to security transactions are also subject to tax. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund upon disposition of securities issued in or by certain foreign countries are subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries. All taxes are computed in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law, and, to the extent permitted, capital losses are used to offset capital gains. Taxes attributable to income are accrued by the fund as a reduction of income. Taxes incurred on the purchase of foreign currencies are recorded as realized loss on foreign currency transactions. Current and deferred tax expense attributable to net capital gains is reflected as a component of realized and/or change in unrealized gain/loss on securities in the accompanying financial statements. At October 31, 2011, the fund had no deferred tax liability attributable to foreign securities and no foreign capital loss carryforwards.

NOTE 7 - RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The fund is managed by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (Price Associates), a wholly owned subsidiary of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (Price Group). Price Associates has entered into a subadvisory agreement with T. Rowe Price International Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Price Associates, to provide investment advisory services to the fund; the subadvisory agreement provides that Price Associates may pay the subadvisor up to 60% of the management fee that Price Associates receives from the fund. The fund was previously managed by T. Rowe Price International, Inc. (Price International), which was merged into its parent company, Price Associates, effective at the close of business on December 31, 2010. Thereafter, Price Associates assumed responsibility for all of Price International’s existing investment management contracts, and Price International ceased all further operations. The corporate reorganization was designed to simplify Price Group’s corporate structure related to its international business and was intended to result in no material changes in the nature, quality, level, or cost of services provided to the T. Rowe Price funds.

The investment management and administrative agreement between the fund and Price Associates provides for an all-inclusive annual fee equal to 0.50% of the fund’s average daily net assets. The fee is computed daily and paid monthly. The all-inclusive fee covers investment management, shareholder servicing, transfer agency, accounting, and custody services provided to the fund, as well as fund directors’ fees and expenses; interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, and extraordinary expenses are paid directly by the fund.

Additionally, the fund is one of several mutual funds in which certain college savings plans managed by Price Associates may invest. As approved by the fund’s Board of Directors, shareholder servicing costs associated with each college savings plan are allocated to the fund in proportion to the average daily value of its shares owned by the college savings plan. Shareholder servicing costs allocated to the fund are borne by Price Associates, pursuant to the fund’s all-inclusive fee agreement. At October 31, 2011, no shares of the fund were held by college savings plans.

The fund may invest in the T. Rowe Price Reserve Investment Fund and the T. Rowe Price Government Reserve Investment Fund (collectively, the T. Rowe Price Reserve Investment Funds), open-end management investment companies managed by Price Associates and considered affiliates of the fund. The T. Rowe Price Reserve Investment Funds are offered as cash management options to mutual funds, trusts, and other accounts managed by Price Associates and/or its affiliates and are not available for direct purchase by members of the public. The T. Rowe Price Reserve Investment Funds pay no investment management fees.

Mutual funds and other accounts managed by T. Rowe Price and its affiliates (collectively, T. Rowe Price funds) may invest in the fund; however, no T. Rowe Price fund may invest for the purpose of exercising management or control over the fund. At October 31, 2011, 1% of the fund’s outstanding shares were held by T. Rowe Price funds.

NOTE 8 - INTERFUND BORROWING PROGRAM

Pursuant to its prospectus, the fund may borrow up to 33 1/3% of its total assets. Price Associates has developed a program that provides temporary liquidity under an interfund borrowing agreement between the fund and other T. Rowe Price-sponsored mutual funds. The program permits the borrowing and lending of cash at rates beneficial to both the borrowing and lending funds. Pursuant to program guidelines, loans totaling 10% or more of a borrowing fund’s total assets require collateralization at 102% of the value of the loan; loans of less than 10% are unsecured. During the year ended October 31, 2011, the fund incurred $1,000 in interest expense related to outstanding borrowings on one day in the average amount of $17,200,000 and at an average annual rate of 1.24%. At October 31, 2011, there were no borrowings outstanding.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors of T. Rowe Price International Index Fund, Inc. and Shareholders of T. Rowe Price International Equity Index Fund

In our opinion, the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the portfolio of investments, and the related statements of operations and of changes in net assets and the financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of T. Rowe Price International Equity Index Fund (one of the portfolios comprising T. Rowe Price International Index Fund, Inc., hereafter referred to as the “Fund”) at October 31, 2011, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These financial statements and financial highlights (hereafter referred to as “financial statements”) are the responsibility of the Fund’s management; our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits of these financial statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits, which included confirmation of securities at October 31, 2011 by correspondence with the custodian and brokers, and confirmation of the underlying funds by correspondence with the transfer agent, provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Baltimore, Maryland
December 16, 2011

Tax Information (Unaudited) for the Tax Year Ended 10/31/11

We are providing this information as required by the Internal Revenue Code. The amounts shown may differ from those elsewhere in this report because of differences between tax and financial reporting requirements.

The fund’s distributions to shareholders included $369,000 from short-term capital gains.

For taxable non-corporate shareholders, $8,272,000 of the fund’s income represents qualified dividend income subject to the 15% rate category.

The fund will pass through foreign source income of $11,437,000 and foreign taxes paid of $442,000.

Information on Proxy Voting Policies, Procedures, and Records

A description of the policies and procedures used by T. Rowe Price funds and portfolios to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available in each fund’s Statement of Additional Information, which you may request by calling 1-800-225-5132 or by accessing the SEC’s website, sec.gov. The description of our proxy voting policies and procedures is also available on our website, troweprice.com. To access it, click on the words “Our Company” at the top of our corporate homepage. Then, when the next page appears, click on the words “Proxy Voting Policies” on the left side of the page.

Each fund’s most recent annual proxy voting record is available on our website and through the SEC’s website. To access it through our website, follow the directions above, then click on the words “Proxy Voting Records” on the right side of the Proxy Voting Policies page.

How to Obtain Quarterly Portfolio Holdings

The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The fund’s Form N-Q is available electronically on the SEC’s website (sec.gov); hard copies may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 450 Fifth St. N.W., Washington, DC 20549. For more information on the Public Reference Room, call 1-800-SEC-0330.

About the Fund’s Directors and Officers

Your fund is overseen by a Board of Directors (Board) that meets regularly to review a wide variety of matters affecting the fund, including performance, investment programs, compliance matters, advisory fees and expenses, service providers, and other business affairs. The Board elects the fund’s officers, who are listed in the final table. At least 75% of the Board’s members are independent of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price), and its affiliates; “inside” or “interested” directors are employees or officers of T. Rowe Price. The business address of each director and officer is 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the fund directors and is available without charge by calling a T. Rowe Price representative at 1-800-638-5660.

Independent Directors

Name
(Year of Birth)	Principal Occupation(s) and Directorships of Public Companies and
Year Elected*	Other Investment Companies During the Past Five Years
William R. Brody	President and Trustee, Salk Institute for Biological Studies (2009
(1944)	to present); Director, Novartis, Inc. (2009 to present); Director, IBM
2009	(2007 to present); President and Trustee, Johns Hopkins University
	(1996 to 2009); Chairman of Executive Committee and Trustee,
	Johns Hopkins Health System (1996 to 2009)
Jeremiah E. Casey	Retired
(1940)
2006
Anthony W. Deering	Chairman, Exeter Capital, LLC, a private investment firm (2004
(1945)	to present); Director, Under Armour (2008 to present); Director,
2000	Vornado Real Estate Investment Trust (2004 to present); Director,
	Mercantile Bankshares (2002 to 2007); Director and Member of the
	Advisory Board, Deutsche Bank North America (2004 to present)
Donald W. Dick, Jr.	Principal, EuroCapital Partners, LLC, an acquisition and management
(1943)	advisory firm (1995 to present)
2000
Karen N. Horn	Senior Managing Director, Brock Capital Group, an advisory and
(1943)	investment banking firm (2004 to present); Director, Eli Lilly and
2003	Company (1987 to present); Director, Simon Property Group (2004
	to present); Director, Norfolk Southern (2008 to present); Director,
	Fannie Mae (2006 to 2008)
Theo C. Rodgers	President, A&R Development Corporation (1977 to present)
(1941)
2006

John G. Schreiber	Owner/President, Centaur Capital Partners, Inc., a real estate
(1946)	investment company (1991 to present); Cofounder and Partner,
2001	Blackstone Real Estate Advisors, L.P. (1992 to present); Director,
	General Growth Properties, Inc. (2010 to present)
Mark R. Tercek	President and Chief Executive Officer, The Nature Conservancy (2008
(1957)	to present); Managing Director, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
2009	(1984 to 2008)
*Each independent director oversees 130 T. Rowe Price portfolios and serves until retirement, resignation, or election of a successor.

Inside Directors

Name
(Year of Birth)
Year Elected*
[Number of T. Rowe Price	Principal Occupation(s) and Directorships of Public Companies and
Portfolios Overseen]	Other Investment Companies During the Past Five Years
Edward C. Bernard	Director and Vice President, T. Rowe Price; Vice Chairman of the
(1956)	Board, Director, and Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.;
2006	Chairman of the Board, Director, and President, T. Rowe Price
[130]	Investment Services, Inc.; Chairman of the Board and Director,
	T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc., T. Rowe Price Savings
	Bank, and T. Rowe Price Services, Inc.; Chairman of the Board, Chief
	Executive Officer, and Director, T. Rowe Price International; Chief
	Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board, Director, and President,
	T. Rowe Price Trust Company; Chairman of the Board, all funds
Brian C. Rogers, CFA, CIC	Chief Investment Officer, Director, and Vice President, T. Rowe Price;
(1955)	Chairman of the Board, Chief Investment Officer, Director, and Vice
2006	President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.; Vice President, T. Rowe Price
[74]	Trust Company
*Each inside director serves until retirement, resignation, or election of a successor.

Officers

Name (Year of Birth)
Position Held With International
Equity Index Fund	Principal Occupation(s)
E. Frederick Bair, CFA, CPA (1969)	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price
President	Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Roger L. Fiery III, CPA (1959)	Vice President, Price Hong Kong, Price
Vice President	Singapore, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group,
	Inc., T. Rowe Price International, and T. Rowe
	Price Trust Company
John R. Gilner (1961)	Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President,
Chief Compliance Officer	T. Rowe Price; Vice President, T. Rowe Price
	Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Investment
	Services, Inc.
Gregory S. Golczewski (1966)	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price
Vice President	Trust Company
Gregory K. Hinkle, CPA (1958)	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price
Treasurer	Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company;
	formerly Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
	(to 2007)
Patricia B. Lippert (1953)	Assistant Vice President, T. Rowe Price and
Secretary	T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc.
David Oestreicher (1967)	Director and Vice President, T. Rowe Price
Vice President	Investment Services, Inc., T. Rowe Price
	Retirement Plan Services, Inc., T. Rowe
	Price Services, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust
	Company; Vice President, Price Hong Kong,
	Price Singapore, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price
	Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International
Deborah D. Seidel (1962)	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price
Vice President	Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Investment
	Services, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer and Vice
	President, T. Rowe Price Services, Inc.
Neil Smith (1972)	Vice President, Price Hong Kong, Price
Executive Vice President	Singapore, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and
	T. Rowe Price International
Ken D. Uematsu, CFA (1969)	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price
Vice President	Trust Company

Julie L. Waples (1970)	Vice President, T. Rowe Price
Vice President
Paul W. Wojcik, CFA (1970)	Chief Risk Officer and Vice President, T. Rowe
Vice President	Price Group, Inc.; Vice President, T. Rowe Price
	and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
J. Zachary Wood, CFA (1972)	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price
Vice President	Group, Inc.
Unless otherwise noted, officers have been employees of T. Rowe Price or T. Rowe Price International for at least 5 years.

Item 2. Code of Ethics.

The registrant has adopted a code of ethics, as defined in Item 2 of Form N-CSR, applicable to its principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. A copy of this code of ethics is filed as an exhibit to this Form N-CSR. No substantive amendments were approved or waivers were granted to this code of ethics during the period covered by this report.

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.

The registrant’s Board of Directors/Trustees has determined that Mr. Anthony W. Deering qualifies as an audit committee financial expert, as defined in Item 3 of Form N-CSR. Mr. Deering is considered independent for purposes of Item 3 of Form N-CSR.

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

(a) – (d) Aggregate fees billed to the registrant for the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by the registrant’s principal accountant were as follows:

Audit fees include amounts related to the audit of the registrant’s annual financial statements and services normally provided by the accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings. Audit-related fees include amounts reasonably related to the performance of the audit of the registrant’s financial statements and specifically include the issuance of a report on internal controls and, if applicable, agreed-upon procedures related to fund acquisitions. Tax fees include amounts related to services for tax compliance, tax planning, and tax advice. The nature of these services specifically includes the review of distribution calculations and the preparation of Federal, state, and excise tax returns. All other fees include the registrant’s pro-rata share of amounts for agreed-upon procedures in conjunction with service contract approvals by the registrant’s Board of Directors/Trustees.

(e)(1) The registrant’s audit committee has adopted a policy whereby audit and non-audit services performed by the registrant’s principal accountant for the registrant, its investment adviser, and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant require pre-approval in advance at regularly scheduled audit committee meetings. If such a service is required between regularly scheduled audit committee meetings, pre-approval may be authorized by one audit committee member with ratification at the next scheduled audit committee meeting. Waiver of pre-approval for audit or non-audit services requiring fees of a de minimis amount is not permitted.

     (2) No services included in (b) – (d) above were approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.

(f) Less than 50 percent of the hours expended on the principal accountant’s engagement to audit the registrant’s financial statements for the most recent fiscal year were attributed to work performed by persons other than the principal accountant’s full-time, permanent employees.

(g) The aggregate fees billed for the most recent fiscal year and the preceding fiscal year by the registrant’s principal accountant for non-audit services rendered to the registrant, its investment adviser, and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant were $1,632,000 and $1,429,000, respectively.

(h) All non-audit services rendered in (g) above were pre-approved by the registrant’s audit committee. Accordingly, these services were considered by the registrant’s audit committee in maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Investments.

(a) Not applicable. The complete schedule of investments is included in Item 1 of this Form N-CSR.

(b) Not applicable.

Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable.

Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.

Not applicable.

Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

Not applicable.

Item 11. Controls and Procedures.

(a) The registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have evaluated the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures within 90 days of this filing and have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective, as of that date, in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the registrant in this Form N-CSR was recorded, processed, summarized, and reported timely.

(b) The registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer are aware of no change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s second fiscal quarter covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Item 12. Exhibits.

(a)(1) The registrant’s code of ethics pursuant to Item 2 of Form N-CSR is attached.

     (2) Separate certifications by the registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, are attached.

     (3) Written solicitation to repurchase securities issued by closed-end companies: not applicable.

(b) A certification by the registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, is attached.

SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

T. Rowe Price International Index Fund, Inc.
 

By	/s/ Edward C. Bernard
	Edward C. Bernard
	Principal Executive Officer
Date	December 16, 2011

 

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
 

By	/s/ Edward C. Bernard
	Edward C. Bernard
	Principal Executive Officer
Date	December 16, 2011
By	/s/ Gregory K. Hinkle
	Gregory K. Hinkle
	Principal Financial Officer
Date	December 16, 2011