US leads 14 EU states' direct investment at 15.4%, Germany 11.5%, Eurostat says

The United States was the largest ultimate source of inward foreign direct investment in 2025, followed by Germany, as a share of the combined inward investment positions of the 14 reporting EU countries, rather than the whole EU, Eurostat’s figures show.

The preceding release covered 13 countries for 2024, so its aggregate shares do not describe the same reporting group. Their inward foreign direct investment positions totalled €3.89 trillion: the US accounted for 14%, Germany for 12%, and the UK and France for 9% each.

Following ownership beyond the immediate investor

Foreign direct investment involves an investor in one country acquiring an interest of at least 10% in a business in another; the positions reported here measure the total value of such investment at a point in time, distinct from annual investment flows and acquisition totals.

Standard statistics identify the immediate investing country. The ultimate-investor figures follow ownership links beyond intermediaries such as holding companies and assign the position to the investor controlling the investment decision. Eurostat says this helps identify who ultimately controls investments, bears their risks and receives their returns.

The approach can also reveal “round-tripping”: money sent abroad by domestic investors and returned home as direct investment. The reporting country itself can be identified as the ultimate investor. Eurostat says such investment does not add genuine foreign direct investment to the domestic economy.

Where EU and non-EU investors dominate

Investors from other EU countries accounted for most inward investment in 9 reporting countries; investors from outside the EU accounted for most in 5.

Spain, Sweden, Greece and Denmark had non-EU shares ranging from 51.0% to 55.1%.