Top Destinations by FDI Inflows 2026: 2025–2026 Baseline Projection
Top 20 FDI Inflow Destinations: 2026 Modeled Baseline Based on Official 2024 UNCTAD Data
This ranking compares foreign direct investment inflow destinations across three clearly separated years: 2024 official base values, 2025 modeled estimates and a 2026 modeled baseline. The metric is inward FDI flow into the host economy, measured in current US$ billions, and higher values rank higher.
The 2024 column is the official numeric base from UNCTAD World Investment Report 2025 Figure I.3. The 2025 and 2026 columns are modeled projections, not official country statistics and not official UNCTAD country forecasts. They are shown in separate columns so readers can see exactly where the official data ends and where the scenario model begins.
Source snapshot: compiled and checked on 21 June 2026. Coverage is limited to the 20 economies explicitly shown in UNCTAD WIR 2025 Figure I.3. Unit: current US$ billions. Direction: descending by modeled 2026 baseline. Value status: 2024 official_value; 2025 modeled_projection; 2026 modeled_projection.
United States, modeled from UNCTAD’s official 2024 base of $279bn.
Only the 2024 column contains official country-level values from UNCTAD WIR 2025.
Both forward columns use country-adjusted factors, not one flat global rate for all economies.
The list is restricted to the confirmed UNCTAD top-20 host-economy figure for 2024.
Israel ranks 20th in the modeled 2026 baseline after a conservative risk adjustment.
Overview: what the ranking measures
Foreign direct investment inflows measure investment entering an economy from foreign investors with a lasting management interest. In balance-of-payments terms, the indicator can include equity capital, reinvested earnings and intercompany debt, net of disinvestment. It does not measure only new factories, new jobs or productive capital formation.
A high FDI inflow value can reflect productive investment, but it can also reflect corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, reinvested earnings, intrafirm finance or capital routed through financial centres. That is why the table separates official 2024 values from the modeled 2025 and 2026 columns.
Top 10 FDI destinations with 2024, 2025 and 2026 columns
The top of the table is led by the United States, followed by Asian investment hubs and large host economies. The 2024 column is official; the 2025 and 2026 columns are modeled to reflect uneven recovery, financial-centre effects, developing-economy pressure and country-specific risks.
| Rank | Destination | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | $279.0bnofficial | $323.6bnmodeled | $330.2bn1.16 × 1.02 |
| 2 | Singapore | $143.0bnofficial | $157.3bnmodeled | $160.4bn1.10 × 1.02 |
| 3 | Hong Kong, China | $126.0bnofficial | $138.6bnmodeled | $141.4bn1.10 × 1.02 |
| 4 | Luxembourg | $106.0bnofficial | $129.3bnmodeled | $133.2bn1.22 × 1.03 |
| 5 | China | $116.0bnofficial | $111.4bnmodeled | $110.2bn0.96 × 0.99 |
| 6 | Canada | $64.0bnofficial | $73.0bnmodeled | $74.4bn1.14 × 1.02 |
| 7 | Brazil | $59.0bnofficial | $59.6bnmodeled | $60.2bn1.01 × 1.01 |
| 8 | Australia | $53.0bnofficial | $58.3bnmodeled | $59.5bn1.10 × 1.02 |
| 9 | United Arab Emirates | $46.0bnofficial | $50.6bnmodeled | $51.6bn1.10 × 1.02 |
| 10 | France | $34.0bnofficial | $40.1bnmodeled | $40.9bn1.18 × 1.02 |
Table note: 2024 is official_value. 2025 and 2026 are modeled_projection. The factor shown in the 2026 cell is the 2025 adjustment multiplied by the 2026 continuation factor.
Chart: 2026 modeled FDI inflows by destination
The bars show the 2026 modeled baseline, not official 2026 FDI statistics. The chart is ranked by 2026 value, while the table also keeps the official 2024 base and the modeled 2025 estimate visible.
Why FDI inflows differ across countries
A single global FDI growth rate is not suitable for every country. UNCTAD’s 2025 update shows that the global FDI rebound was shaped by financial flows through investment hubs, while real investment activity remained fragile. Developed economies recovered more strongly, developing-economy flows weakened, and the 2026 outlook remained exposed to geopolitical tension, policy uncertainty and economic fragmentation.
Financial-centre effects
Luxembourg, Singapore and Hong Kong, China can record large FDI flows because capital is routed through investment platforms, holding companies and intragroup finance structures.
Developed-economy rebound
The United States, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Australia receive positive modeled factors because developed economies led the preliminary 2025 FDI recovery.
Developing-economy pressure
China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are not assigned the full global rebound because developing-economy flows did not recover evenly.
Country-specific risk
Egypt is adjusted for one-off megaproject risk, China for declining inflows and policy uncertainty, and Israel for geopolitical volatility.
Methodology
The metric is inward foreign direct investment flow into the host economy, expressed in current US$ billions. The ranking direction is descending by the modeled 2026 baseline. The official base values are the 2024 top 20 host-economy inflows published in UNCTAD World Investment Report 2025, Figure I.3, sourced to the UNCTAD FDI/MNE database.
The table uses three value statuses. The 2024 column is official_value. The 2025 column is modeled_projection calculated as official 2024 base value multiplied by a country-specific 2025 factor. The 2026 column is modeled_projection calculated as modeled 2025 value multiplied by a country-specific 2026 continuation factor.
Formula
2025 estimate = 2024 official base × 2025 country factor. 2026 baseline = 2025 estimate × 2026 continuation factor.
Why not one 14% factor?
A flat 14% factor would preserve the 2024 ranking exactly and imply that wars, financial hubs, policy uncertainty, megaprojects and developing-economy weakness affect every economy equally.
Factor logic
Factors reflect UNCTAD’s 2025 evidence: global FDI rose 14%, but the increase was concentrated in developed economies and financial centres, while productive investment remained fragile.
Rounding
Official 2024 base values are shown in whole US$ billions as published in the UNCTAD figure. Modeled 2025 and 2026 values are rounded to one decimal place.
Inclusion rule
The page includes only the 20 host economies visible in UNCTAD WIR 2025 Figure I.3. It does not claim a Top 100 because a verified top-100 row-level table is not used here.
Limitations
The model does not measure greenfield investment only, job creation, domestic investment, investment quality, productivity or whether FDI reaches local suppliers.
Sensitivity note: the model is most uncertain for financial centres, economies affected by one-off transactions and countries exposed to geopolitical or policy shocks. If financial-centre flows reverse, Luxembourg, Singapore and Hong Kong, China could be lower. If strategic manufacturing, data-centre or M&A activity accelerates, the United States, France, Italy and Canada could be higher. If China’s investment conditions improve faster than assumed, China’s modeled values would be understated.
Main ranking table: 2024 official, 2025 modeled and 2026 modeled FDI inflows
The table separates years to avoid confusion. The 2024 column is the official UNCTAD base. The 2025 and 2026 columns are modeled estimates using country-adjusted assumptions.
| Rank | Destination | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | $279.0bnofficial | $323.6bnmodeled | $330.2bn1.16 × 1.02 |
| 2 | Singapore | $143.0bnofficial | $157.3bnmodeled | $160.4bn1.10 × 1.02 |
| 3 | Hong Kong, China | $126.0bnofficial | $138.6bnmodeled | $141.4bn1.10 × 1.02 |
| 4 | Luxembourg | $106.0bnofficial | $129.3bnmodeled | $133.2bn1.22 × 1.03 |
| 5 | China | $116.0bnofficial | $111.4bnmodeled | $110.2bn0.96 × 0.99 |
| 6 | Canada | $64.0bnofficial | $73.0bnmodeled | $74.4bn1.14 × 1.02 |
| 7 | Brazil | $59.0bnofficial | $59.6bnmodeled | $60.2bn1.01 × 1.01 |
| 8 | Australia | $53.0bnofficial | $58.3bnmodeled | $59.5bn1.10 × 1.02 |
| 9 | United Arab Emirates | $46.0bnofficial | $50.6bnmodeled | $51.6bn1.10 × 1.02 |
| 10 | France | $34.0bnofficial | $40.1bnmodeled | $40.9bn1.18 × 1.02 |
| 11 | Mexico | $37.0bnofficial | $38.1bnmodeled | $38.5bn1.03 × 1.01 |
| 12 | Egypt | $47.0bnofficial | $38.5bnmodeled | $37.8bn0.82 × 0.98 |
| 13 | Spain | $31.0bnofficial | $34.7bnmodeled | $35.4bn1.12 × 1.02 |
| 14 | India | $28.0bnofficial | $29.7bnmodeled | $30.0bn1.06 × 1.01 |
| 15 | Italy | $25.0bnofficial | $29.0bnmodeled | $29.6bn1.16 × 1.02 |
| 16 | Indonesia | $24.0bnofficial | $25.7bnmodeled | $25.9bn1.07 × 1.01 |
| 17 | Viet Nam | $20.0bnofficial | $21.4bnmodeled | $21.6bn1.07 × 1.01 |
| 18 | Sweden | $18.0bnofficial | $20.2bnmodeled | $20.6bn1.12 × 1.02 |
| 19 | Saudi Arabia | $16.0bnofficial | $16.5bnmodeled | $16.6bn1.03 × 1.01 |
| 20 | Israel | $17.0bnofficial | $16.3bnmodeled | $16.2bn0.96 × 0.99 |
Source note: 2024 base values are official UNCTAD WIR 2025 Figure I.3 values. 2025 and 2026 values are modeled projections using the factors shown in the 2026 column and explained in the methodology.
Insights from the 2024–2026 FDI table
Key insight
The United States remains far ahead because its official 2024 base is already more than twice Singapore’s and because the model gives it a positive developed-economy, technology and M&A factor.
Notable pattern
Financial hubs stay high, but the table no longer treats them the same as large productive host economies. This matters for Luxembourg, Singapore and Hong Kong, China.
Regional concentration
Asia has the largest number of entries, while the strongest positive factors are concentrated in developed economies and financial centres.
Outlier
Egypt’s 2024 official value is high, but its 2025 and 2026 modeled values are lower because the base year was influenced by a large one-off development transaction.
What this ranking means
How to read the three years
Use 2024 as the official base, 2025 as a modeled transition year and 2026 as a scenario baseline. Do not read the 2025 or 2026 columns as final official country statistics.
Why the model is diversified
FDI flows are affected by wars, policy uncertainty, interest rates, financial centres, M&A cycles and one-off megaprojects. The model therefore uses different factors by country and group.
Interpretation risk
High FDI inflows can reflect productive investment, but they can also reflect corporate finance, reinvested earnings or conduit flows. A high rank does not automatically mean stronger local job creation.
Best use
The table is useful for investment geography, market research and scenario comparison. For policy decisions, combine it with greenfield project data, sector-level investment, employment and domestic-capital indicators.
FAQ
Which column is official?
The 2024 column is official. It uses the top 20 host-economy values from UNCTAD World Investment Report 2025 Figure I.3. The 2025 and 2026 columns are modeled projections.
Why are 2025 and 2026 included if they are not official?
They are included to create a transparent forward-looking baseline, but they are clearly separated from the official 2024 data. This avoids presenting a modeled 2026 value as if it were an official country statistic.
Why does the model not use +14% for every country?
UNCTAD’s 2025 evidence shows that the global 14% increase was concentrated in developed economies and financial centres. A single factor would ignore wars, policy uncertainty, financial-hub effects, megaprojects and developing-economy weakness.
Does a higher FDI inflow rank mean a country is better for investors?
No. FDI inflows measure the scale of cross-border investment flows. They do not measure investor protection, investment quality, rule of law, tax policy, job creation, productivity or returns.
Why do financial hubs rank so high?
Financial hubs can attract large measured FDI flows because multinational companies route capital, intercompany loans, holding-company structures and corporate transactions through them.
Can the ranking change when official 2025 or 2026 data are released?
Yes. FDI inflows are volatile. M&A transactions, reinvested earnings, geopolitical shocks, policy changes, exchange-rate movements and large individual projects can change the final country ranking.
What does the metric not measure?
It does not measure greenfield investment only, investment quality, job creation, wages, local supplier effects, domestic investment, productivity gains or whether investment supports sustainable development.
Sources
The page uses official UNCTAD sources for the 2024 base values and the 2025 trend signals used in the country-adjusted 2025 and 2026 modeled columns.
UNCTAD World Investment Report 2025, Chapter I
Primary numeric source for the 2024 top 20 host economies and their FDI inflow values in Figure I.3.
https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/wir2025_ch01_en.pdfUNCTAD World Investment Report 2025
Main report page for the 2025 publication, report downloads, methodology and related investment analysis.
https://unctad.org/publication/world-investment-report-2025UNCTAD Global Investment Trends Monitor No. 50
Source for 2025 trend signals: global FDI +14%, financial-centre concentration, developed-economy rebound, developing-economy decline and uncertain 2026 outlook.
https://unctad.org/publication/global-investment-trends-monitor-no-50UNCTAD Investment Statistics and Trends
Context source for UNCTAD’s FDI/MNE database and its international FDI statistics coverage.
https://unctad.org/topic/investment/investment-statistics-and-trendsGreenfield lens for 2025: where projects are actually being built
Inflows are a country-level flow measure. Greenfield indicators add a project-level lens that often maps more directly to new facilities and operating footprints. The list below uses a city ranking of greenfield FDI projects for 2024 (project counts).
Why this matters: some economies can rank high on inflows due to corporate-finance routing, while cities with strong project pipelines may better reflect real operational expansion.
Table 2. Top cities by greenfield FDI projects (2024)
| Rank | City | Greenfield projects (2024) | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dubai | 1,117 | Ranked #1 globally for the fourth consecutive year (greenfield projects). |
| 2 | Singapore | 442 | Second globally in project count; major Asia hub for multinational footprints. |
| 3 | London | 384 | Large European hub in new projects, especially services and headquarters functions. |
| 4 | New York City (NY) | 200 | High concentration of corporate and services projects in a global market centre. |
| 5 | Bangalore | 197 | Strong tech and business-services project pipeline. |
| 6 | Riyadh | 191 | Rising MENA competitor in greenfield projects and headquarters attraction. |
| 7 | Hong Kong | 161 | Gateway city with steady project-level activity in regional corporate functions. |
| 8 | Madrid | 159 | Strong European project hub in the 2024 city ranking. |
| 9 | Abu Dhabi | 144 | Shows UAE depth beyond Dubai in project counts. |
| 10 | Paris | 138 | Large market hub with consistent inbound project attraction. |
Source basis: Dubai DET 2024 highlights report (city ranking by greenfield FDI projects; based on fDi Markets). Full links are listed in Part 3.
Chart 2. Greenfield projects by city (2024)
Top cities (greenfield projects, 2024)
- Dubai — 1,117
- Singapore — 442
- London — 384
- New York City (NY) — 200
- Bangalore — 197
- Riyadh — 191
- Hong Kong — 161
- Madrid — 159
- Abu Dhabi — 144
- Paris — 138
Source basis: Dubai DET 2024 greenfield projects city ranking. Full links are listed in Part 3.
How to interpret the “top FDI destinations” list without being misled
A top-10 list is useful for showing where capital concentrates in a given year, but it is not a pure measure of “best places to build.” Annual inflows can be dominated by large transactions, corporate restructurings, and intrafirm financing. Financial hubs may rank high even when new physical capacity is not rising at the same pace.
Practical interpretation
- Separate scale from substance: high inflows can reflect M&A and balance-sheet movements, not only new builds.
- Expect volatility: one-off megadeals can change the ranking quickly.
- Read hubs differently: hubs and conduit centres can amplify totals via routing and corporate finance.
- Use a multi-metric view: inflows (money), greenfield counts/capex (projects), and project finance (infrastructure) capture different realities.
Policy takeaway: the strategic goal is not “maximize inflows,” but attract investment that improves productivity—skills, technology transfer, supplier development, and durable local value chains.
Sources (official)
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UNCTAD — World Investment Report 2025Primary basis for 2024 inflow totals used as the latest full-year proxy for a 2025 view.UNCTAD WIR 2025 (publication page)
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UNCTAD — WIR 2025, Chapter I (PDF)Investment trends and the Top 20 host economies figure used for the chart/table basis.WIR 2025 Chapter I (PDF)
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UNCTAD — Global Investment Trends Monitor (No. 50)Preliminary update and forward-looking indicators (greenfield, M&A, project finance).Global Investment Trends Monitor No. 50
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UNCTADstat — Data CentreUnderlying investment statistics portal used across UNCTAD’s reporting products.UNCTADstat Data Centre
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Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism — Dubai FDI 2024 Highlights (PDF)City ranking by greenfield FDI projects in 2024 (based on fDi Markets).Dubai FDI 2024 Highlights Report (PDF)
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OECD — FDI in FiguresInstrument-level context for interpreting flows (equity, reinvested earnings, debt).OECD FDI statistics hub
