Foreign direct investment stock statistics provide information on capital links arising from residents’ participating interest in a foreign enterprise or those of non-residents in a German enterprise at the end of the year. The data are based on information from the reporting agents’ balance sheets.

The international investment position provides quarterly stock statistics. The figures are initially estimated at the current end and are subsequently compared with the annual stock statistics.

Domestic direct investment abroad

At the end of 2023, Germany’s outward primary and secondary foreign direct investment (FDI) rose by €16 billion to €1,618 billion. About 27 %, or €436 billion worth, of all German FDI went to the United States, which was once again number one.

The adjacent chart portrays the links between German and foreign economic sectors arising from primary and secondary German FDI. It shows that many German enterprises, such as monetary intermediation and the manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers as well as chemicals and chemical products primarily invest in their own sector abroad. By contrast, investment by domestic holding companies with and without a management function and wholesale trade (excluding trade in motor vehicles) is more diversified. Although these companies invest in their own sectors, too, they also maintain direct investment relationships with other major sectors abroad.

Foreign direct investment in the reporting country

At the end of 2023, primary and secondary inward FDI into Germany totalled €726 billion, with the largest share coming from European countries. Accounting for a share of 76 %, Europe was even more prominent as a source of inward FDI than as a recipient of German outward FDI.