Which exchange suffered the world’s largest one-day percentage fall during the 1987 global crash?

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange suffered the world’s largest one-day percentage fall during the 1987 global crash.

On October 19, 1987, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index plunged 45.8%, a much larger percentage decline than the 22.6% fall in the Dow Jones Industrial Average in New York. Trading was suspended in Hong Kong for several days as officials and market participants tried to contain the turmoil.

The crash then spread through international markets. Australia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States all recorded major losses, demonstrating how closely linked financial exchanges had become by the late 20th century.

The Hong Kong exchange is sometimes overlooked because “Black Monday” is most strongly associated with Wall Street. However, the global crash was not confined to the United States, and Hong Kong recorded the steepest one-day percentage loss among major markets during the episode.