Stock data Capital links with foreign countries

DE

Domestic direct investment abroad
Germany’s outward immediate and indirect foreign direct investment (FDI) was up by €48 billion at the end of 2019 to €1,372 billion. Almost 30%, or €391 billion worth, of all German FDI went to the United States, which was once again number one.
German inward FDI
At the end of 2019, immediate and indirect inward FDI into Germany totalled €556 billion, with the lion’s share coming from European countries. Accounting for a share of 80%, Europe was even more strongly represented as a source of inward FDI than as a recipient of German outward FDI.

Domestic direct investment abroad by Top10 economic activities


At €450 billion, the figures for primary and secondary FDI show that, in 2019, the main industry in which German direct investors ultimately invested was the manufacturing sector. The adjacent chart illustrates the interconnectedness of domestic and foreign economic activities. German enterprises from the manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, monetary intermediation and manufacture of chemicals and chemical products sectors invested primarily in foreign enterprises operating in their respective sectors. Outward FDI by domestic holding companies without a management function focused on other financial service activities, wholesale trade and telecommunications.

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.