London's AIM attracted more listings than all its global rivals combined last year. The Independent

Experts called AIM, which is operated by the London Stock Exchange, the ‘world's growth market of choice’, as it boosted the number of listed companies from 1,399 in 2005 to 1,643 last year and raised $29bn (£14.3bn) through primary and secondary listings.

The US’s Nasdaq saw listings fall in 2006, while the risers, including Korea's Kosdaq and India's Indonext, grew about 5%.

Philip Secrett, international director of capital markets at Grant Thornton, said: ‘AIM has continued to gather momentum and credibility since the dot.com boom. The market has fed off investor confidence and its location in London has been critical.’

The value of companies listed on AIM rose by more than 80% last year, reflecting the raft of new listings and the rising share prices. Their collective market capitalisation was $140bn at the end of the year.