The latest European Attractiveness Survey from EY shows that Spain is still high on the list of European targets for foreign direct investment.
There were 248 foreign direct investments (FDI) in Spain last year, 7% more than 2014, according to research by EY.
Spain was in fourth place behind the UK, Germany and France for FDI (see table above).
In terms of cities, Barcelona and Madrid were in the top ten European cities in a ranking of perceived attractiveness from an investment potential. Barcelona was in fifth place, and Madrid in eighth.
Looking just at Spain, and FDI by autonomous region, Catalonia was way out ahead with 111 FDIs, up 2.8% on the year before, whilst Madrid attracted 46 FDIs, down 19%. So it appears that the Catalan drive for independence has not yet turned off investors.
By country of origin, the largest foreign investor in Spain was the USA, followed by France, Germany, and the UK.
Why is FDI relevant? It says something about investor confidence in Spain, which is currently growing and investing in the country’s future. A bright(er) future is good for Spain’s housing market.
