Following the publication in April by Business France of the 2018 Annual Report: Foreign investment in France, which highlights France’s attractiveness in terms of job-creating investment projects, UNCTAD published its 2019 Global Investment Report on Wednesday, June 12, which reaffirms the country’s openness and attractiveness.
France received US$37.3 billion in FDI flows in 2018, up 25.1% compared with 2017. France is the twelfth host country in the world after the United States, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, Spain, India and Canada.
Importantly, France is going against the current global trend. Total FDI flows around the world decreased by 13.4% in 2018, the third consecutive year of decline, with this figure dropping to 18.5% among European Union countries. This decline is mainly due to the decision from some American multinationals to return to the United States following US tax reforms, which came into force in January 2018.
Developed countries were the most affected, with inward FDI flows falling by 26.7%. They now account for less than half of global flows (US$556.9 billion). Flows to Asia and Africa increased by 3.8% and 10.9%, respectively. France is currently ranked 11th for inward FDI stock, which saw a 0.8% increase in 2018.