Global investment recovers in 2025, but remains fragile, uneven: UN Report

GENEVA, July 7 — Global foreign direct investment (FDI) rose 6 percent year-on-year to 1.6 trillion U.S. dollars in 2025 following two consecutive years of decline, but the recovery remained narrow, fragile and uneven, the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said on Tuesday.

The World Investment Report 2026 released by UNCTAD showed that FDI inflows to developed economies grew by 11 percent in 2025, while developing economies recorded only 2 percent growth.

The world’s top 20 host economies attracted more than 80 percent of global FDI, underscoring a trend of increasing concentration, it said.