Largest recipients of U.S. FDI| ��ƽ��

Countries with the highest United States foreign direct investment (FDI) position in 2024 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Characteristic	FDI in billion U.S. dollars, on a historical-cost basis
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Release date

July 2025

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Region

United States

Survey time period

2024

Supplementary notes

*The UK Caribbean Islands include the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Figures are rounded.

In accounting, historical cost is the original monetary value of an economic item. Historical cost is based on the stable measuring unit assumption. In some circumstances, assets and liabilities may be shown at their historical cost, as if there had been no change in value since the date of acquisition.

Direct investment implies that a person in one country has a lasting interest in, and a degree of influence over the management of, a business enterprise in another country. For the United States, in accordance with international guidelines, ownership or control of ten percent or more of an enterprise's voting securities, or the equivalent, is considered evidence of such a lasting interest or degree of influence over management. Thus, foreign direct investment in the United States is ownership or control, direct or indirect, by one foreign person of ten percent or more of the voting securities of an incorporated U.S. business enterprise or an equivalent interest in an unincorporated U.S. business enterprise.

Citation formats

The United Kingdom received the most direct investment from the United States in 2024, an amount exceeding ****trillion U.S. dollars. This measurement was based on a historical-cost basis, meaning that the original cost of investment has been adjusted for inflation.

What is foreign direct investment?

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is the amount that foreign investors invest in another country. Investors from the United States have trillions of U.S. dollars in FDI invested abroad. This gives firms in those countries access to capital that they might not have otherwise enjoyed, particularly if the firms are in developing regions such as Africa. The United States is also a recipient of FDI from other countries, with hundreds of billions of U.S. dollars flowing into the United States every year.

Benefits and risks

FDI generally increases the size of both economies. The host country has an inflow of capital, which should lead to a higher number of jobs and increased productivity. The investing company should benefit from the dividends of such investments. However, any investment has default risks. These risks are magnified by the regulatory uncertainty that arises from the fact that two legal systems are involved. This can lead to political pressure, particularly if trade tensions are already high.