Data insights
Economic, investment and financial data provide vital measurements of economies' health, overall development and capacity for growth. This collection of thematic insights explores critical dimensions of national accounts, economic potential and price signals.
Foreign direct investment inflows, billions of dollars, 2025
In 2025, the United States of America remained the largest destination economy for foreign direct investment (FDI). It was followed by Singapore, Hong Kong (China), China and Brazil.
World foreign direct investment inflows, billions of dollars
Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows rose by 6%, to $1.6 trillion in 2025, from $1.5 trillion in 2024.
FDI trends diverged across country groups. The increase was particularly concentrated in developed economies, where inflows rose by 11% to $723 billion. By contrast, flows to developing economies increased by 2% to just above $901 billion.
Foreign direct investment inflows and outflows, billions of dollars, 2025
Inflows
In 2025, developing Asia remained the largest recipient among developing regions, while developing Africa and developing Americas showed divergent trends:
In Africa, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows stood about $70 billion, down from the exceptional $94 billion recorded in 2024.
FDI inflows to developing Asia rose marginally in 2025, from $623 billion to $644 billion.
FDI inflows to Developing Americas rose by almost 14% to $188 billion.
Outflows
Developed economies continued to be the largest sources of global investment capital, accounting for more than two thirds of global outward FDI flows.
Developing Asia has become an increasingly important source of global capital, accounting for one third of global FDI outflows in 2025.
The top five economies for FDI outflows in 2025 were the United States of America, Japan, China, Luxembourg and Hong Kong (China).
Foreign direct investment inflows to developing economies, percentage, 2025
Developing economies received more than half of global FDI (55%) in 2025, but growth was modest and uneven between regions.
Developing Asia attracted $644 billion FDI in 2025, remaining the world's largest developing-region recipient. This represents about 40% of global FDI and more than 70% of developing economies FDI.
Developing Africa attracted about $70 billion in 2025, representing about 4% of global FDI and almost 8% of FDI flows to developing economies. FDI inflows to developing Americas, excluding Caribbean offshore financial centers, rose by almost 14%, from $165 billion in 2024 to $188 billion in 2025. This represents around one fifth of FDI flows to developing economies. Least Developed Countries continued to attract only a small share of global FDI, less than 3%.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is defined as an investment reflecting a lasting interest and control of assets by a foreign direct investor (parent enterprise) resident in one economy, in a foreign affiliate resident in another economy. The parent enterprise controls assets of a foreign affiliate usually by owning a certain equity capital stake. An equity capital stake of 10% or more is normally considered the threshold for the control of assets.
FDI flows comprise capital provided by a foreign direct investor to a foreign affiliate, or capital received by a foreign direct investor from a foreign affiliate. FDI has three components: equity capital, reinvested earnings and intracompany loans.
FDI stock is the value of the share of their capital and reserves attributable to the parent enterprise, plus the net indebtedness of foreign affiliates to the parent enterprise.
FDI are on a net basis (capital transactions' credits less debits between direct investors and their foreign affiliates). Thus FDI might be recorded as negative.
Full metadata are available in our Data Centre for Foreign direct investment.
