Foreign direct investment (FDI) from Japan - statistics & facts
Japan is among the leading source economies of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the world. In 2024, it was the second-largest source of FDI, behind the United States. Japan’s outward FDI position amounted to close to 52 percent of its GDP in 2024. By comparison, the United States’ FDI stock was equal to 34 percent of its GDP. Japan’s role as a top investor worldwide is contrary to the low level of inward FDI it attracts, especially relative to the size of its economy. Nippon Steel’s acquisition of U.S. Steel became one of the largest cross-border M&As in the first half of 2025.
