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FDI inflows, % of GDP

The UK ranks 19th of 28 on FDI inflows, % of GDP (2025)

The UK ranks 19th of 28 on FDI inflows, % of GDP in 2025: 0.94, unit % of GDP (net inflows), against an EU27 median of 2.02. Source: World Bank Indicators (WDI and WGI), BX.KLT.DINV.WD.GD.ZS, snapshot of 6 November 2026.

Net foreign direct investment inflows as a share of GDP.

Caveat. Volatile and can be negative. Luxembourg, Ireland, Malta and the Netherlands have large flows relative to GDP, reflecting holding companies and conduit structures.

The UK

FDI inflows, % of GDP

0.94% of GDP (net inflows)(2025)

19th of 28Moved down 11 places from 2016 to 2025.
EU27 median
2.02 % of GDP (net inflows)
UK minus EU27 median
−1.08 % of GDP (net inflows)

League table

Values in % of GDP (net inflows). Countries ranked by value, 1 = top of the table, 28 with a value.

FDI inflows, % of GDP, 2025: league table of countries
1Malta51.712025
2Cyprus27.082025Cyprus FDI: conduit-company flows, year-specific cause unverified
3Ireland10.392025
4Greece4.842025
5Bulgaria3.732025
6Denmark3.662025
7Portugal3.452025
8Lithuania3.242025
9Croatia2.852025
10Czechia2.692025
11Sweden2.582025
12Slovenia2.262025
13Romania2.192025
14Poland2.022025
15Germany1.882025
16France1.812025
17Spain1.502025
18Slovakia1.332025
19United KingdomUK0.942025
20Latvia0.832025
21Netherlands0.302025
22Finland0.112025
23Italy0.032025
24Austria-2.022025
25Estonia-2.192025
26Belgium-3.972025
27Hungary-28.372025
28Luxembourg-32.682025

Trend, 2000 to 2025

FDI inflows, % of GDP, 2000 to 2025Line chart, 2000 to 2025: the UK (heavy ink line), the EU27 aggregate (dashed dark line), Germany, France, Italy and Spain (solid lines), and reference countries (faint lines). Dotted segments are IMF projections and are not ranked. Shaded bands and markers show events.% of GDP (net inflows)-20020200020052010201520202025123Canada3Australia2Germany2France2Spain2EU271Japan1United States1United Kingdom1Italy0Switzerland0Norway-1FDI inflows, % of GDP, 2000 to 2025Line chart, 2000 to 2025: the UK (heavy ink line), the EU27 aggregate (dashed dark line), Germany, France, Italy and Spain (solid lines), and reference countries (faint lines). Dotted segments are IMF projections and are not ranked. Shaded bands and markers show events.% of GDP (net inflows)-20020200020102020123CanadaAustraliaGermanyFranceSpainEU27JapanUnited StatesUnited KingdomItalySwitzerlandNorway
  • Heavy ink line: United Kingdom
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Dashed dark line: EU27 aggregate
  • Thin grey lines, reference countries (not the big four): Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, United States
  • Shaded: 2008–09 financial crisis
  • Shaded: 2020–21 Covid-19 pandemic
  • Shaded: 2022–23 energy price shock
  • Marker 1: EU referendum (23 June 2016)
  • Marker 2: UK leaves the EU (31 January 2020)
  • Marker 3: Transition period ends; Trade and Cooperation Agreement in force (1 January 2021)
Trends show what happened, not why; Covid, energy prices and policy changes overlap the same years. Dotted lines are projections and are not ranked.

UK rank over time

Rank 1 is the top of the table; the line is drawn with rank 1 at the top. Each year is ranked on that year's values.

UK rank, 2000 to 2025: 9th to 19th6th10th15th20th26th200020052010201520202025June 201619thUK rank, 2000 to 2025: 9th to 19th6th10th15th20th26th200020102020June 201619th

2000: 9th · 2025: 19th

Sources and method

Net foreign direct investment inflows as a share of GDP.

Source: World Bank Indicators (WDI and WGI) · series BX.KLT.DINV.WD.GD.ZS· vintage 2026-10-08 · fetched 2026-11-06

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators / Worldwide Governance Indicators (CC BY 4.0); accessed 2026-11-06.

Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank open data default); WGI and some datasets carry their own terms in the Data Catalog metadata. Reuse with credit allowed, including derived figures.