As Asian stock prices soar at a faster pace than European ones this year, market capitalization of Asian markets has come ahead of that of European markets. According to the Korea Stock Exchange's analysis of global stock markets registered in the World Federation of Exchanges as of the end of April, market capitalization of the Asia-Pacific region amounted to US$10.14 trillion, compared to $9.34 trillion of the European region including Africa and the Middle East.

The figure is a $923 billion increase from late last year when Asian stock markets plunged to their lowest levels. Market capitalization of the Americas, including the U.S., Canada and Brazil, rose by a meager $49 billion, while Europe saw a $126 billion drop.

With the growth of its market capitalization, as of late April, the Asia-Pacific market accounted for 30.3 percent of the world total, up 2 percent from the end of last year. By country, China contributed most to the growth, soaring 36 percent over the same period and recovering at the fastest pace among the world's stock markets.