Foreign Direct Investment

FDI IN FIGURES

January 2013

According to preliminary estimates, global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows continued declining in the third quarter of 2012 to USD 274 billion recording a decrease of -12% from the previous quarter (-33 % from a year earlier). The stock of global FDI at end-2011 was estimated at USD 21.1 trillion, which represents 5% increase from 2010 and 27% increase from 2007. OECD outflows (accounting for 81% of global outflows) declined in Q3 2012 by -6% from the previous quarter to USD 238 billion and -26% from a year earlier. In spite of this stable share of global outflows, OECD area attracted only USD 98 billion of FDI in Q3 2012, reaching its lowest level of inflows since Q1 2009 (USD 68 billion or 47% of global inflows). In other words, OECD attracted 61% less FDI than a year earlier. At end-2011, the stock of inward FDI for the OECD was USD 13.4 trillion (65% of global inward FDI) and the stock of outward FDI was USD 17.8 trillion (82% of global outward FDI). At end-2011, OECD’s inward and outward FDI stocks represented 29% and 39% of its GDP, respectively. China, for the third consecutive quarter, became the first FDI destination in 2012 and the United States maintained its position as the leading investing economy.

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FDI Inflows ($ billion)

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FDI Outflows ($ billion) World

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During the period January-September 2012, China attracted the lions share of global FDI flows with USD 170 billion followed by the United States (USD 104 billion), Brazil (USD 48 billion), the United Kingdom (USD 47 billion), and France (USD 46 billion). These five host economies received 45% of global inflows during first...