Top 10 sectors attracting foreign direct investment

Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows provide a snapshot of the industries that global investors see as having the greatest growth potential. In 2024, the top ten sectors attracting FDI accounted for $1 trillion in foreign investment, according to visualcapitalist.com, which ranks the sector based on greenfield investment data from its FDI Report 2025.

• Clean energy remains the top sector attracting FDI

Renewable energy led all sectors with $270.1 billion in FDI in 2024, accounting for 27% of the global total. However, inflows into the sector fell by $103 billion from 2023, with wind projects down $33 billion from the previous year.

Communications is next - the second largest sector by FDI inflows in 2024, with $165.7 billion (16.6% of the total), up almost 84% compared to 2023. Data centers were the main attraction within this sector, accounting for $146.9 billion in FDI, according to the cited source.

Meanwhile, foreign investment in semiconductors ranks third, with $120.3 billion (12% of the total), more than doubling in 2024 compared to 2023. The sector is notable for the fact that the average FDI project in semiconductors amounts to over $823 million.

The real estate sector, ranked fourth, attracted $92.2 billion in FDI across over 1,000 projects, up 9% from the previous year and the highest figure since 2018. This sector accounts for 9.2% of total global FDI in 2024. Together with renewable energy, the coal, oil and gas sector makes energy the largest overall area for foreign investment in 2024, with energy-related projects accounting for around 36% of the total. However, foreign direct investment in coal, oil and gas fell by around 15% in 2024 (fifth place in the ranking, with a total of $89.1 billion). This is followed by metals ($72.8 billion, 7.3% of the total), transport and storage ($54.6 billion, 5.5% of the total); electronic components ($49.3 billion; 4.9% of total); software and IT services ($47.5 billion; 4.7% of total); auto OEM - components produced by a manufacturer that supplies these parts directly to the carmaker ($38.7 billion; 3.9% of total).

According to the cited source, foreign investment in the electronic components sector recorded the largest decline - 55% compared to 2023, largely attributed to a sharp decline in investment in the battery subsector.

• Which regions attracted the most FDI?

The Asia-Pacific region was the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in 2024, accounting for over $393 billion. India was the main destination for FDI in the region, with over 1,000 projects attracting approximately $108.6 billion.

Europe ranks second with about $311 billion, followed by North America with $268 billion. Foreign investment in North America grew by 61.1% in 2024, with the semiconductor sector alone accounting for $74.6 billion in FDI inflows.

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