IPOs globally - statistics & facts

An initial public offering, also known as an IPO or a stock market launch, is a pivotal step in the journey of a company. It refers to the debut of a company's stock on a stock exchange and allows external investors to buy shares in the company. Going public can yield high returns for the company itself and its investors, but it can also be a gamble. In fact, the equity returns of IPOs were twice as large as those from NASDAQ investments or even SPAC mergers in 2020, but returns were negative in 2021. Additionally, the share of companies that are profitable post-IPO has fallen in recent years.

China and the U.S. remain the most popular IPO destinations

New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen are hubs of IPO activity both in terms of IPO volume and the size of IPOs. This can be attributed to the sheer size of the stock exchanges located in these cities, as well as the density of unicorns - private companies worth at least one billion U.S. dollars - based in the United States and Greater China. Debuting on a stock exchange allows these highly valued companies access to capital to fuel their growth and can also give their early investors a return on their investment. For instance, the majority of IPOs in the U.S. close above IPO price on their first day of trading.

Emerging IPO markets

Aside from the major IPO markets such as the U.S. and China, there are also up and coming markets such as Brazil and Africa. The size of IPOs completed on the B3 stock exchange in Brazil jumped in 2020 and has remained high since. Reasons for this include historically low interest rates as well as the growth in the number of startups in Brazil in recent years, making it the leading hub in Latin America. The size of IPOs in Africa has also been increasing over the past decade, though IPO proceeds reached their peak in 2017 before declining year-on-year since then.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Dec 18, 2023

Key insights

Value of largest all-time IPO globally
25.6bn USD
Leading stock exchange globally by IPO proceeds
US NASDAQ
Country with most traditional IPOs globally
China
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Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Largest IPOs worldwide as of 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Corporate Financing

Largest IPOs worldwide as of 2023

Number of traditional IPOs in selected regions, countries, or territories worldwide in 2022

Corporate Financing

Leading countries, regions, or territories by number of traditional IPOs 2022

Distribution of initial public offerings (IPOs) completed on selected exchanges worldwide as of 3rd quarter 2023

Corporate Financing

Distribution of IPOs worldiwde as of Q3 2023, by stock exchange globally

Recommended statistics

Overview

6

Overview

Regional breakdown

6

Regional breakdown

Americas

8

Americas

EMEA

10

EMEA

Asia-Pacific

9

Asia-Pacific

Further reportsGet the best reports to understand your industry

Initial public offerings (IPOs) in the United States
Initial public offerings (IPOs) in the United States
Initial public offerings (IPOs) in Europe
Initial public offerings (IPOs) in Europe
Initial public offerings (IPO) of Chinese companies
Initial public offerings (IPO) of Chinese companies
Global unicorns
Global unicorns
SPACs
SPACs

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