Global foreign direct investment (FDI) rose 6% to US$1.6 trillion in 2025, according to UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2026. While investment returned to growth after two years of decline, the world's leading economies continued to attract the lion's share of international capital.
Global foreign direct investment (FDI) rebounded in 2025, rising 6% to US$1.6 trillion and ending two consecutive years of decline, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in its World Investment Report 2026. Despite the recovery, investment remained highly concentrated, with the world’s top 20 host economies accounting for more than 80% of global FDI inflows.
The following table highlights the 10 largest destination economies for FDI in 2025, based on UNCTAD’s latest data.
| Rank | Economy | FDI Inflows (US$ Billion) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 277 |
| 2 | Singapore | 151 |
| 3 | Hong Kong, China | 116 |
| 4 | China | 105 |
| 5 | Brazil | 77 |
| 6 | United Kingdom | 75 |
| 7 | Germany | 74 |
| 8 | Canada | 67 |
| 9 | United Arab Emirates | 48 |
| 10 | Mexico | 41 |
Source: UNCTAD, World Investment Report 2026 (FDI inflows, 2025).
The United States remained the world’s largest destination for foreign direct investment, attracting US$277 billion in inflows during 2025. Singapore ranked second with US$151 billion, while Hong Kong, China and China completed the top four, highlighting Asia’s continued prominence as a global investment hub.
The rankings also illustrate how investment flows shifted over the past year. The United Kingdom climbed from 21st place in 2024 to sixth in 2025, with FDI inflows rising from US$16 billion to US$75 billion. Germany advanced from 18th to seventh, as inflows increased from US$21 billion to US$74 billion. Meanwhile, Canada slipped from fifth to eighth place despite maintaining strong inflows of US$67 billion.
The United Arab Emirates ranked ninth globally in 2025, attracting US$48 billion in FDI inflows. It remained the only Middle Eastern economy in the global top 10, underscoring its continued attractiveness as a destination for international investment.
Brazil ranked fifth globally with US$77 billion in FDI inflows, making it the highest-ranked economy in Latin America. Mexico also featured among the world’s top 10 destinations, reinforcing the region’s importance in global investment flows.
Despite the rebound, UNCTAD cautioned that the recovery remains uneven. The report identifies persistent geopolitical tensions, trade policy uncertainty, elevated financing costs and slowing economic growth as continuing risks to international investment flows. As countries compete to attract long-term capital, investment is increasingly concentrated among a relatively small number of leading destination economies.
Source: UNCTAD World Investment Report 2026: International Investment in a Turbulent Era.
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