Europe, the Middle East and Africa contributed the largest proportion of bond issuance in a record year for the international fixed income market, according to preliminary year-end figures from Dealogic, the data provider.

Bond market issuance smashed the previous year's record with a total of $1.68 trillion (€1.9 trillion) worth of bonds offered for sale in 2001 to December 21. That represents an increase of 15%, or $218bn, over the previous year.