The share price of Australia's national telco Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) has struggled over the last decade. Fortunately for those invested in the stock, it's paid out consistent dividends over that time.
If you had bought $1,000 of Telstra shares 10 years ago today, you likely would have snapped up 233 shares, paying $4.29 apiece.
Sadly, the Telstra share price has struggled since then.
The company's stock is trading at $4.03 at the time of writing, 6.45% lower than it was in December 2012. That also leaves our figurative parcel with a value of around $938.99.
For comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has gained 57% over the last decade.
But could it be possible Telstra's dividends have offset its share price's poor performance? Let's take a look.
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How much have Telstra shares paid in dividends in 10 years?
Here are all the dividends offered by Telstra shares over the decade just been:
| Telstra dividends' pay date | Type | Dividend amount |
| September 2022 | Final and special | 7.5 cents and 1 cent |
| April 2022 | Interim and special | 6 cents and 2 cents |
| September 2021 | Final and special | 5 cents and 3 cents |
| March 2021 | Interim and special | 5 cents and 3 cents |
| September 2020 | Final and special | 5 cents and 3 cents |
| March 2020 | Interim and special | 5 cents and 3 cents |
| September 2019 | Final and special | 5 cents and 3 cents |
| March 2019 | Interim and special | 5 cents and 3 cents |
| September 2018 | Final and special | 7.5 cents and 3.5 cents |
| March 2018 | Interim and special | 7.5 cents and 3.5 cents |
| September 2017 | Final | 15.5 cents |
| March 2017 | Interim | 15.5 cents |
| September 2016 | Final | 15.5 cents |
| April 2016 | Interim | 15.5 cents |
| September 2015 | Final | 15.5 cents |
| March 2015 | Interim | 15 cents |
| September 2014 | Final | 15 cents |
| March 2014 | Interim | 14.5 cents |
| September 2013 | Final | 14 cents |
| March 2013 | Interim | 14 cents |
| Total: | $2.365 |
An investor who bought into Telstra shares 10 years ago likely would have received $2.365 in dividends for each security they held.
Thus, our 233 parcel of Telstra shares would have provided around $551.05 of passive income during that time.
That certainly offset the ASX 200 stock's tumble. Combining its dividends and its share price's fall leaves the telco giant returning 49% over the last 10 years.
It's also likely that could have been compounded with the use of a dividend reinvestment plan (DRP).
Additionally, all Telstra's dividends since the year 2000 have been fully franked. That means they might have provided extra benefits come tax time.
Telstra shares currently trade with a 3.35% dividend yield.
