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Investment policy

FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index

 

About the index

The FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index (FDI Index) measures statutory restrictions on foreign direct investment in 22 economic sectors across 69 countries, including all OECD and G20 countries. The FDI Index is also available for many countries for the following years: 1997, 2003, 2006, 2010-2018.

ASEAN FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Database

 

Access data for the FDI Index on OECD.stat

 

Access interactive data in the Going Digital Toolkit

 

 

 

Documents and links

The Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment (2019)

Is investment protectionism on the rise? Evidence from the FDI Index (2017)

Methodology used to calculate the FDI Index

FDI statistics, news, analysis and forecasts

OECD Investment Policy Reviews

Investment policy

Lessons from investment policy reform in Korea (2013)

Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises

 

Measuring FDI restrictiveness

The FDI Index gauges the restrictiveness of a country’s FDI rules by looking at the four main types of restrictions on FDI:

  • Foreign equity limitations
  • Screening or approval mechanisms
  • Restrictions on the employment of foreigners as key personnel
  • Operational restrictions, e.g. restrictions on branching and on capital repatriation or on land ownership

>> Data by measure and year 

 

The FDI Index is not a full measure of a country’s investment climate. A range of other factors come into play, including how FDI rules are implemented. Entry barriers can also arise for other reasons, including state ownership in key sectors. A country’s ability to attract FDI will be affected by factors such as the size of its market, the extent of its integration with neighbours and even geography.

 

Nonetheless, FDI rules are a critical determinant of a country’s attractiveness to foreign investors. Furthermore, unlike geography, FDI rules are something over which governments have control. FDI restrictions tend to arise mostly in primary sectors such as mining, fishing and agriculture, but also in media and transport.

 

The 2010 update provides more information about how the FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index is calculated.

 

How OECD investment instruments
promote greater openness

The Codes of Liberalisation of Capital Movements and Current Invisible Operations are legally binding for OECD countries, stipulating the right of establishment and progressive, non-discriminatory liberalisation of capital movements and international financial and other services. The approach of the Codes involves unilateral rather than negotiated liberalisation. Their observance makes full use of the OECD’s “peer pressure” method.

In parallel, under the , countries agree not to discriminate against foreign investors established on their territory.

 

 

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