UN Report Shows Global FDI Rose 6 Percent in 2025

Global foreign direct investment (FDI) rose 6 percent to $1.6 trillion in 2025, ending a two-year decline, according to the 2026 World Investment Report. United Nations Trade and Development described the recovery as narrow and uneven, noting that the top 20 host economies attracted over 80 percent of global flows. Investment increasingly concentrated in AI infrastructure, semiconductors, and energy-transition technologies, which comprised 44 percent of global greenfield project values.

India saw FDI inflows surge 44 percent to $38.89 billion, moving it up to the world's 11th largest recipient. This growth was supported by the Make in India and Production-Linked Incentive schemes, alongside major projects such as Alphabet Inc.'s $14.5 billion data center. Meanwhile, Nigeria's inflows jumped 148.4 percent to $4.01 billion, its strongest performance since 2014, driven largely by oil and gas project finance and corporate acquisitions.

Bangladesh also experienced a rebound, with FDI inflows rising 45 percent to $1.78 billion. Officials attributed this growth to improved investment facilitation and approval discipline. Despite these regional gains, the report noted a global decline in the value of announced greenfield investments, and noted that growth remains fragile and uneven. These findings will be discussed at the World Investment Forum 2026 in Doha, Qatar, this October.