Top 20 largest stock exchanges in the world 2024

A stock exchange, typically representing a country’s capital market, provides a market where securities are traded under regulated procedures. It not only channels funds into the economy, but also provides investors with returns on investments in the form of dividends. The exchange fulfills its main function of raising capital for listed companies by re-channeling cash resources into productive economic activity, thus building the economy while enhancing job opportunities and wealth creation.

Stock markets are an important constituent of the world economy. They are the most sought-after platform where millions of investors trade and invest on a daily basis. Stock exchanges are the heart and sole of the stock market. Stock markets are bodies which facilitate the transaction in securities and other financial assets. Stock exchanges can be considered to be the lifeline of the stock market. A company must be listed on the exchange to allow public investors and traders to buy and sell its securities.

While some stock exchanges have been traditionally strong, the dynamic nature of the industry has allowed others to grow rapidly. Emerging market economies have contributed a great deal to the surge of such stock exchanges, a trend that is to persist over the next decades. Naturally, countries with powerful economies and a highly developed private sector are bound to have a bigger financial market. Nevertheless, some of the largest stock exchanges in the world are booming markets, offering huge financial opportunities, while still plagued by widespread poverty.

Here are the top 20 largest stock exchanges in the world.