Where foreign investment went in 2025: six hubs compared

UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2026 gives inflows of foreign direct investment in 2025 for every economy. For the six hubs we follow most closely, they are:

The British Virgin Islands figure for 2025 is an UNCTAD estimate, not a reported number, and should be read as one.

Reading the numbers

Singapore took in more than USD 150 billion, about a tenth more than a year earlier, and widened its lead over the other five. Hong Kong's inflows fell by more than USD 21 billion. The UAE's rose again, to USD 48.2 billion.

The British Virgin Islands needs a different reading. Its inflows are large relative to its economy because companies incorporated there hold investments elsewhere, so the figure tracks where holding companies are registered more than where business is done. Mauritius and the Seychelles look small on this measure for a related reason. UNCTAD counts investment into the domestic economy, not the larger flows managed through their international business sectors, which is not the same as saying those flows are small.

What it means for a business deciding where to base itself

FDI lags, but it still tells you something. Rising inflows into Singapore and the UAE mean more competition for office space, staff and banking relationships, and deeper professional markets to draw on. For holding structures, the BVI's higher figure says more about continued use than about standing, which has weakened since the EU and the FATF listed it this year.