Foreign investment grows 1.6% in Spain
The State chains a decade increasing each year the investor stock coming from companies of other countries
BarcelonaThe stock of productive foreign direct investment (FDI) in Spain reached 627,795 million euros in 2024, representing an increase of 1.6% compared to the previous year and the consolidation of a decade of uninterrupted growth. "This trend confirms the sustained confidence of international investors in the Spanish economy, as well as the quality of its business environment," highlighted the Ministry of Economy, after learning the updated figures on foreign investment positions for the 2024 fiscal year.
The United States continues to be the main source of foreign investment in 2024, the year before the arrival of the new administration of President Donald Trump, although advance data for 2025 – even after the tariff threat affecting trade in goods – indicate that it continues to lead the ranking. After the US, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom also remain the main investing countries in Spain.
By sectors, manufacturing industry, the energy sector, trade, and financial services stand out.
"Companies with foreign participation continue to play an essential role in the productive fabric, with more than 2 million jobs, equivalent to approximately 10% of total employment," stated the department headed by Carlos Cuerpo. According to advance data from the Spanish government's Foreign Investment Registry DataInvex, foreign investment in Spain in 2025 has reached 30,764 million euros, which would bring the stock to almost 660,000 million.
Spanish investment abroad
In parallel, Spanish investment abroad reached a volume of almost 650,000 million euros in 2024 and global positioning is reinforced, increasing by almost 6% in 2024. The main destinations for Spanish investment continue to be the United States and the United Kingdom, along with strategic markets such as Mexico and Brazil.
Asia and Oceania concentrate 2.8% of Spanish investment abroad, reaching almost 18,000 million euros. For its part, Africa concentrates 1.2% of the total, with more than 7,700 million euros, representing growth of almost 15% compared to the stock in 2023.
From a sectoral point of view, investments are concentrated in financial and insurance activities, the manufacturing industry, and the energy sector, "areas in which Spain has highly competitive companies on an international scale," highlighted the Ministry of Economy.