February 13, 2012, 09:52 CET
External sector
Foreign direct investment stock statistics - International capital links
The Foreign direct investment stock statistics provides information on the capital links arising from residents’ participating interests in enterprises abroad and from non-residents in enterprises in Germany at yearends.
Publication
Data on Germany’s international capital links are published in the Special Statistical Publication 10 "Foreign direct investment stock statistics" which appears annually in spring (generally in April). Each edition contains data for the previous four years. In line with our revision practice, the most recent results are to be regarded as provisional in each case.
Selected information for the current year as well as for earlier years is available through our time series service .
In addition, developments in German enterprises’ international capital links are commented on in our Monthly Report or in a press release.
| Titel | Datum |
|---|---|
 German foreign direct investment (FDI) relationships: recent trends and macroeconomic effects |
2006-09-18 |
| Foreign trade and payments |
2005-05-17 |
| The development of German enterprises' international capital links between end-1998 and end-2001 |
2003-07-17 |
| Structure of German firms’ international capital links at end-1999 |
2001-04-01 |
| Trends in international capital links between enterprises from the end of 1995 to the end of 1997 |
1999-06-01 |
| International capital links between enterprises from the end of 1993 to the end of 1995 |
1997-05-01 |
| Titel | Datum |
|---|---|
 New results of the foreign direct investment stock statistics |
2011-04-29 |
| New results of the foreign direct investment stock statistics |
2010-04-30 |
| Foreign direct investment stock statistics: end-of-2007 results |
2009-04-30 |
| Foreign direct investment stock statistics: end-of-2006 results |
2008-04-30 |
| Foreign direct investment stock statistics: results at year-end 2005 |
2007-04-30 |
| The German economy’s international capital links |
2006-04-28 |
| The German economy’s international capital links |
2005-04-29 |
Methodological notes
In accordance with the international standard, direct investment is defined as cross-border participation in the capital or voting rights of an enterprise of 10% or more. It is composed of capital – possibly less subscribed capital unpaid – plus pro rata capital reserves and retained profit reserves, plus pro rata profit carried forward or less pro rata losses carried forward, plus pro rata profits for the year or less pro rata losses for the year. These components represent the equity capital. The lender’s loans, as well as the cross-border loans of other affiliated enterprises, are also added to this.
A distinction is made between direct investment transactions (flows/refer to Balance of Payments) and stocks. The balance of payments statistics are based on market values at the time of the transaction. Stock data are calculated from direct investment enterprises’ balance sheet data. The foreign currency balance sheets of the direct investment enterprises abroad are converted into euro at the exchange rate on the balance sheet date. The stock data of German outward FDI are therefore subject to exchange rate fluctuations against the euro.
Various changes in the reporting thresholds have been made over time, information on which may be found in the Special statistical publication 10 "Foreign direct investment stock statistics" under the heading "Notes" or "Methodological notes". The methodological notes also contain information on showing primary and secondary direct investment stocks.
