It was a difficult 12 months for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in 2022. Over the period, the benchmark index lost 5.5% of its value.
The good news is that not all ASX 200 shares dropped with the market, with some even managing to beat the market convincingly.
A number of popular ASX 200 dividend shares (with yields greater than 3%) performed strongly during the year. Listed below are some of the best performers during the period:
Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)
Thanks to booming coal prices, Whitehaven Coal was the best performing ASX 200 dividend share in 2022 with a gain of 261%. During the year, the coal miner also rewarded its shareholders with dividends totalling 48 cents per share. Based on the current Whitehaven Coal share price, this equates to a partially franked 5.8% dividend yield.
For the same reason, New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC) smashed the market with a 185% gain. It also paid fully franked dividends totalling 86 cents per share, which was the equivalent of a 13.5% dividend yield.
Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)
Another ASX 200 dividend share that delivered stellar returns for investors was Woodside. Thanks to strong oil prices and the merger with the petroleum assets of BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Woodside shares rose 62% higher during 2022. The energy giant also paid fully franked dividends totalling $3.06 per share during the 12 months. This represents a 9.1% dividend yield at current prices.
Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG)
Finally, this energy company was a strong performing ASX 200 dividend share in 2022. Thanks to an $18 billion takeover approach from Brookfield Asset Management and MidOcean Energy, Origin shares rose a massive 47% during the period. The company also rewarded its shareholders with total dividends of 29 cents per share in FY 2022. Based on the current Origin share price, this represents a 3.8% dividend yield.
