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Germany is considered an attractive country for foreign direct investment, but in recent years the influx of FDI has been hampered by the global recession and subsequent Eurozone crisis. According to the 2022 World Investment Report by UNCTAD, FDI inflows into Germany more than halved in 2021, totaling USD 31.26 billion against USD 64.59 billion one year earlier. The stock of FDI increased slightly in 2021 to over USD 1.1 trillion. The country has traditionally been a key investor: after declining sharply in 2020, Germany's outward investment reached USD 151.6 billion in 2021, marking a 150.2% increase year-on-year. According to data from the national Trade and Investment Agency (GTAI), Germany’s federal states registered 1,806 FDI projects (excluding M&A) in 2021 - a 7% rise compared to the previous year. In the same year, the number of projects (1,851) rebounded almost fully compared to pre-COVID levels, with 1,806 international companies setting up shop in Germany in the form of greenfield investments.
FDIs in Germany are mostly owned by Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the U.S., Switzerland and the UK, which represent more than 60% of the total stock. France, Ireland, Italy, Austria, and Japan are also investing in the country. FDIs are mainly oriented towards finance and insurance, manufacturing and trade, information and communication, management and consultancy activities, and real estate. The latest data from OECD shows that in the fist half of 2022 FDI inflows to Germany reached a total of USD 17.7 billion, more than eight times higher compared to the second half of the previous year. In 2022, Intel and Northvolt announced massive expansion projects, which were worth at least EUR 17 billion and EUR 4 billion respectively.
Among the country’s strengths are a highly powerful and diversified industrial network, a highly skilled workforce with a good command of English, reliable infrastructure, a favourable social climate, a table legal framework and a location at the heart of Europe. Its main weaknesses are a high tax rate (for both individuals and businesses), rather inflexible labour laws, and the high dependence on the automotive and mechanical industries. The Economist Business Environment ranking puts Germany in the 13th place out of 82 countries in terms of business environment. However, The Economist notes that the country is more exposed than most other large high-income economies to the near-term fallout and energy risks from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Constraints on the ranking include a high tax burden on labour income and on firms, combined with high administrative costs.
| Foreign Direct Investment | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| FDI Inward Flow (million USD) | 52,665 | 64,589 | 31,267 |
| FDI Stock (million USD) | 963,567 | 1,107,839 | 1,139,106 |
| Number of Greenfield Investments* | 860 | 1,077 | 1,118 |
| Value of Greenfield Investments (million USD) | 21,324 | 25,917 | 40,527 |
Source: UNCTAD, Latest available data
Note: * Greenfield Investments are a form of Foreign Direct Investment where a parent company starts a new venture in a foreign country by constructing new operational facilities from the ground up.
| Country Comparison For the Protection of Investors | Germany | OECD | United States |
| Index of Transaction Transparency* | 5.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| Index of Manager’s Responsibility** | 5.0 | 5.3 | 9.0 |
| Index of Shareholders’ Power*** | 5.0 | 7.3 | 9.0 |
Source: Doing Business, Latest available data
Note: *The Greater the Index, the More Transparent the Conditions of Transactions. **The Greater the Index, the More the Manager is Personally Responsible. *** The Greater the Index, the Easier it Will Be For Shareholders to Take Legal Action.
Germany's strengths for FDI are:
Germany's weaknesses for FDI are:
For more information, visit the website of Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI).
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Actualitzacions: March 2023
