In MGI's second annual review of the financial assets of more than 100 countries since 1980, several notable observations emerge:
One is simply that global capital market is huge: MGI found that the world's financial assets now total more than $136 trillion and will exceed $228 trillion by 2010 if current trends persist. The stock of global financial assets has grown faster than the world's GDP, indicating that financial markets are becoming deeper and more liquid.
One of the biggest stories remains the world's debt levels. Debt has increased across all major countries and regions. While the 1980s saw a rapid expansion of government debt, the 1990s were fueled by growth in private debt. Since 2000, the story so far appears to be the return of more government debt. Together, government and private debt securities account for more than half of the overall growth in the global financial assets from 2000-2004.
The roles that major countries and regions play in capital markets continue to be in flux. The United States, which has the largest stock of financial assets, saw a recent slowing of growth in financial stock in the past year, as did China, while Europe's capital markets continued to integrate, grow, and deepen. In Japan, MGI detected a slight pickup in the growth of its financial stock, reflecting an expansion of public debt.
Global capital markets: Entering a new era World financial assets fell by $16 trillion to $178 trillion in 2008, marking the largest setback on record and a break in the three-decade-long expansion of global capital markets. Looking ahead, mature financial markets may be headed for slower growth, while emerging markets will likely account for an increasing share of global asset growth. Read more
Mapping global capital markets: Fifth annual report The world's financial assets rose to $196 trillion in 2007, slightly below the pace of 2006 but still faster than the historical trend—likely marking the recent peak for equity and private debt markets. Read more
Mapping Global Capital Markets: Fourth Annual Report MGI's analysis highlights trends in the global financial markets across countries, regions, and asset classes. It finds assets reached $167 trillion in 2006, while capital flows climbed to a record $8.2 trillion. Read more
$118 Trillion and Counting: Taking Stock of the World's Capital Markets An analysis of the financial assets of more than 100 countries reveals that the global capital market continues to grow, integrate, and become more liquid as the role countries and regions play within it are changing. Read more
