Inversió estrangera directa (IED) a França

FDI in Figures

According to the World Investment Report 2026 published by UNCTAD, France was the twentieth-largest recipient of FDI in 2025, and the sixth in Europe, with FDI inflows falling to USD 21.9 billion, compared to USD 41.5 billion one year earlier (-47.2%). At the end of the same period, the stock of FDI reached USD 1,160.3 billion. France is also the eleventh-largest investor worldwide. The countries holding the majority of FDI are the United States (17.1%), Switzerland (13.7%), Germany (13.4%), and the United Kingdom (10.8%). The EU27 accounts for 53.5% of the total inward stock. In terms of sectors, investments are mostly directed to manufacturing (34.3%), real estate activities (19.1%), financial and insurance activities (13.6%), and trade and repair of motor vehicles (9.8% - data Banque de France). According to the latest figures from the OECD, in the first semester of 2024, FDI inflows reached USD 24.6 billion, as compared to USD 17.7 billion in the corresponding period one year earlier.

France is very open to foreign investments. Among its key assets are a well-educated populace, top-tier universities, and a skilled labour force. It possesses a contemporary business ethos, advanced financial markets, robust intellectual property rights enforcement, and a pioneering commercial landscape. Renowned for its exceptional infrastructure, France features high-speed passenger rail, numerous maritime ports, expansive roadway networks, a comprehensive public transportation system, and seamless intermodal connections. High-speed mobile coverage is widespread, with 5G now accessible in numerous major and mid-sized urban areas. On the other hand, France continues to grapple with longstanding obstacles for foreign investors, including labour costs, labour protections, social legislation, and administrative intricacies. However, the country’s innovation prowess, research capabilities, recent pro-business policies, and governmental initiatives toward ecological transition serve as compelling attractions for investors. Foreign ownership of companies in France faces no statutory constraints, except for specific sectors. However, acquisitions of domiciled companies or subsidiaries involved in critical sectors tied to France's national interests, public order, security, and defence, or engaged in R&D on critical or dual-use technologies for these sectors, require prior notification, review, and approval from the Minister of the Economy. Moreover, on December 28, 2023, the French government enacted decree number 2023-1293 and a corresponding administrative order, expanding the coverage of French FDI rules. The notable changes include extending the scope to control acquisitions of unincorporated "commercial establishments" in France owned by foreign companies, setting a permanent 10% voting rights triggering threshold for non-European Union and non-European Economic Area investors in French publicly-listed companies, broadening the covered activities to include critical raw materials extraction, processing, and recycling, energy infrastructure, transportation networks, public water supplies, electronic communication networks, public health protection, semiconductors, data storage, artificial intelligence, robotics and biotechnologies. France’s business climate is considered positive, and the country ranks 12th among the 133 economies on the Global Innovation Index 2024 and 62nd out of 184 countries on the latest Index of Economic Freedom.

What to consider if you invest in France

Strong Points

France is one of the top ten world economic powers and has many assets to attract foreign investors:

• Quality of infrastructure and public services
• Skilled workforce
• Tourism powerhouse
• Competitive international groups (aerospace, energy, environment, pharmaceuticals, luxury goods, food processing, retail)
• Global agricultural powerhouse
• High level of savings

Weak Points

The main obstacles to attracting FDI in the French economy are:

• Insufficient number of exporting companies, loss of competitiveness and market shares. Structural trade deficit
• Advanced de-industrialisation, relatively low level of product range, insufficient innovation efforts
• Low employment rate for young people and senior citizens
• Relatively inefficient public spending and high tax burden
• High and growing public and private debt
• Political fragmentation and instability

Government Measures to Motivate or Restrict FDI

Many reforms have emerged in recent years with the aim of revitalizing the national economy and attracting foreign investors. Here are the main ones: 

• The number of administrative formalities for the establishment of foreign companies has been reduced. 
• The establishment of a tax credit program of 20 billion EUR (competitiveness tax credit), the abolition of the solidarity tax and the creation of the research tax credit and incentives for young innovative companies. 
• The reform of the labour legislation reinforcing vocational training and adding more flexibility to the labour market. 
• The reduction of the corporate income tax rate from 33% to 25%
• Competitive taxation of research and temporary exemption arrangements for innovative start-ups and new businesses.
• Foreign companies have access to the same subsidies as French companies (support for productive investment, R&D, vocational training, job creation, etc.).

Bilateral investment conventions signed by France

France has signed 116 bilateral investment treaties (BITs), of which 80 are in force.
To see the list, click here.