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Guidelines for multinational enterprises

Foreign Direct Investment Statistics: Data, Analysis and Forecasts

 

 

FDI in the first 9 months of 2023

  • In Q3 2023, global FDI flows[1] increased by 36% compared to Q2. However, due to a weak second quarter this year, global FDI flows in the first nine months of 2023 remained 15% below levels recorded in the first nine months of 2022.

Global FDI flows struggled in 2023  (USD bn)

 

Source: OECD International Direct Investment Statistics database.

  • The top recipients of FDI inflows worldwide in Q3 2023 were the United States (USD 73 billion), and Ireland (USD 26 billion); Canada and Brazil both equally ranked as third largest FDI recipient (USD 15 billion).
  • The top sources of FDI outflows worldwide in Q3 2023 were the United States (USD 110 billion), Japan (USD 60 billion) and China (USD 53 billion).
  • OECD FDI inflows more than doubled in Q3 2023 compared to Q2, partly driven by increases from negative levels of inflows in some European countries. However, overall in the first nine months of 2023, FDI flows to OECD countries were 25% below the same period in 2022.
  • OECD FDI outflows also more than doubled in Q3 2023 compared to the previous quarter, partly driven by increases from the United States and by rises from negative levels of outflows from Ireland. However, over the first nine months of 2023, OECD FDI outflows were 11% below the same period in the previous year.
  • FDI flows into non-OECD G20 economies decreased by 58% in Q3 2023 compared to Q2, largely due to decreases in China, where FDI inflows dropped for the first time since 2005 to negative levels because of movements in intracompany loans. In the first nine months of 2023, non-OECD G20 economies saw a decrease in FDI inflows of 53% compared to the same period in 2022.
  • FDI outflows from non-OECD G20 economies increased by 7% in Q3 2023 compared to Q2, because of higher FDI outflows from China reflecting movements in intracompany debt. Overall, in the first nine months of 2023, non-OECD G20 FDI outflows were 38% higher than in the first nine months of 2022.


[1] By definition, inward and outward FDI worldwide should be equal, but in practice, there are statistical discrepancies between inward and outward FDI. Unless otherwise specified, references to ‘global FDI flows’ refer to the average of these two figures.


 

 

Global FDI flows rebounded but still struggled in the first half of 2023

31/10/2023 - In the first half of 2023, global FDI flows rebounded to USD 727 billion from very low levels recorded in the second half of 2022, but remained 30% below the level recorded in the first semester of 2022. There were important surges in Luxembourg and the Netherlands from large disinvestments in H2 2022. FDI flows in the United States, the largest recipient of FDI flows, remained stable. However, decreases were recorded in more than two-third of OECD economies.

 

 

 

In focus

Trends, investor types and drivers of renewables energy FDI, OECD Working Papers on International Investment, Polina Knutsson and Perla Ibarlucea Flores, 2022

Divestments by MNEs: What do we know about why they happen?, Maria Borga and Monika Sztajerowska, 2018

 

 

Trade, FDI and global value chains 

International trade and FDI are the main defining features and key drivers of global value chains.  For the first time ever, these statistical notes for OECD countries provide evidence on the role played by investment in global value chains.

Download the country notes

 

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FDI regulatory restrictiveness index

The FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index (FDI Index) measures statutory restrictions on foreign direct investment in 58 countries, including all OECD and G20 countries, and covers 22 sectors.

Access the FDI index 

 

     
FDI statistics database

Access the data on OECD.Stat (categorised under "Globalisation")

Access metadata underlying FDI statistics by partner country and by industry for OECD countries

The new FDI statistics database covering FDI statistics from 2014 onwards went online in March 2015. 

Full list of frequently requested data found on the FDI statistics database 

Content and structure of the FDI statistics database according to BMD4

 

Access data prior to 2014 

 
OECD benchmark definition (BMD4)

The FDI statistics database uses data compiled with "BMD4"- The 4th edition of the OECD Benchmark definition of FDI (BMD4) provides operational guidelines on how foreign direct investment activity should be measured and sets the world standard for collecting direct investment statistics.

How BMD4 impacts our compilation of FDI statistics

 

Brochure on the major changes introduced by BMD4

 

Note on the FDI statistics database according to BMD4

 

Explanatory notes on OECD FDI statistics

 

Glossary of FDI terms

Data collection calendar

Aggregate FDI statistics are updated quarterly, four months after the end of the reference quarter and revisions to earlier periods.

Detailed FDI statistics by partner country and by industry are updated annually, in the second half of December of the year after the reference year and incorporate revisions to earlier periods.

 

 
Documents and links

Trends, investor types and drivers of renewables energy FDIOECD Working Papers on International Investment, 2022

Divestments by MNEs: What do we know about why they happen?, 2021

Drivers of divestment decisions in multinational enterprises, 2020

The determinants of Foreign Direct Investment - Do statutory restrictions matter?, 2019

The digital economy, multinational enterprises and international investment policy, 2018

Towards an international framework for investment facilitation, 2018

Examen des statistiques d'investissements directs internationaux au Maroc, 2018

 

Please find here (link to excel tables) the latest official FDI statistics for Q1 2022 as published by official national sources by the end of June 2022. Data for Q2 2022 will be published separately by national authorities by the end of September 2022, and released at the end of October 2022 in the OECD FDI database.

 

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