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Investment, % of GDP

The UK ranks 24th of 28 on Investment, % of GDP (2025)

The UK ranks 24th of 28 on Investment, % of GDP in 2025: 18.9, unit % of GDP (gross fixed capital formation), against an EU27 median of 21.8. Source: World Bank Indicators (WDI and WGI), NE.GDI.FTOT.ZS, snapshot of 6 November 2026.

Spending on buildings, machinery, equipment and intangible assets, as a share of GDP.

Caveat. A higher share is not neutrally better. Ireland's figures are affected by multinational investment in intangible assets and by the GDP distortion.

The UK

Investment, % of GDP

18.9% of GDP (gross fixed capital formation)(2025)

24th of 28Moved down 5 places from 2016 to 2025.
EU27 median
21.8 % of GDP (gross fixed capital formation)
UK minus EU27 median
−3.0 % of GDP (gross fixed capital formation)

League table

Values in % of GDP (gross fixed capital formation). Countries ranked by value, 1 = top of the table, 28 with a value.

Investment, % of GDP, 2025: league table of countries
1Czechia26.42025
2Croatia25.72025
3Romania25.62025
4Sweden25.22025
5Estonia24.22025
6Belgium23.92025
7Austria23.52025
8Latvia23.52025
9Lithuania22.92025
10Ireland22.22025
11France22.02025
12Hungary21.92025
13Denmark21.82025
14Italy21.82025
15Finland21.82025
16Slovenia21.12025
17Portugal20.72025
18Spain20.62025
19Slovakia20.52025
20Germany20.32025
21Bulgaria20.12025
22Cyprus20.02025
23Netherlands19.82025
24United KingdomUK18.92025
25Malta17.82025
26Poland17.02025
27Greece16.92025
28Luxembourg15.02025

Trend, 2000 to 2025

Investment, % 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 (gross fixed capital formation)202530200020052010201520202025123Japan28Switzerland26Australia24Norway23Canada23France22Italy22United States21EU2721Spain21Germany20United Kingdom19Investment, % 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 (gross fixed capital formation)202530200020102020123JapanSwitzerlandAustraliaNorwayCanadaFranceItalyUnited StatesEU27SpainGermanyUnited Kingdom
  • 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: 27th to 24th19th21st24th28th200020052010201520202025June 201624thUK rank, 2000 to 2025: 27th to 24th19th21st24th28th200020102020June 201624th

2000: 27th · 2025: 24th

Sources and method

Spending on buildings, machinery, equipment and intangible assets, as a share of GDP.

Source: World Bank Indicators (WDI and WGI) · series NE.GDI.FTOT.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.