The number of companies going public on European stock exchanges in the first six months of this year was the lowest since 2009. In comparison, worldwide, 615 companies went public in the first half of 2023, which is 5 percent less than the same period in 2022. High inflation, increased interest rates, and the fear of a recession have contributed to the decline in IPOs in Europe, although the situation is slightly better in other regions. The European Union is working on more flexible IPO rules, the EU Listing Act, to attract more companies to list on European stock exchanges.