Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index

The Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index is a regular survey of global executives conducted by A.T. Kearney. The Index provides a unique look at the present and future prospects for international investment flows. Companies participating in the survey account for more than $2 trillion in annual global revenue.

Current Research

Corporate FDI Plans on Hold for the Next Two Years
25 January 2010

“Flight to safety” lifts advanced economies in A.T. Kearney rankings, with investor outlook highest for emerging market giants Brazil, China, and India. Half of investors surveyed expect to postpone planned investments due to economic crisis.

FDI flows will remain disappointing through 2011, according to the 2010 A.T. Kearney Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index, a regular assessment of senior executive sentiment at the world’s largest companies. The Index also found executives are wary of making investments in the current economic climate and revealed that they expect the economic turnaround to happen no earlier than 2011. Half of the companies surveyed also report that they are postponing investments as a result of market uncertainty and difficulties in obtaining credit.

China remains the top-ranked destination by foreign investors, a title it has held since 2002. The United States retakes second place from India, which had surpassed it in 2005. India, Brazil and Germany complete the top five favored investment destinations.

Overall, developed economies rose in the Index as investors looked for safety. The most striking exception is the United Kingdom, whose reliance on financial services left it exposed in the current crisis. At the same time, the placement of China, India and Brazil in the top five shows a strong vote of confidence for the strength of these economies.  Investors also expressed the most optimism about the future outlook for China, India and Brazil.

The full 2010 A.T. Kearney Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index will be available on this website soon.

Media highlights

Don’t Give Up on Globalization
5 March 2010 — BusinessWeek
A.T. Kearney Chairman and Managing Officer Paul Laudicina offers his perspective on the importance of cross-border openness, cooperation and collaboration.

Slideshow of Top 25 Countries for Overseas Investment
5 March 2010 — BusinessWeek
Learn more about the top 25 investment destinations in A.T. Kearney’s 2010 Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index from this BusinessWeek slideshow.

Corporate FDI Plans on Hold for the Next Two Years
25 January 2010 - atkearney.com
FDI flows will likely remain disappointing through 2011, according to the 2010 A.T. Kearney Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index, a regular assessment of senior executive sentiment at the world’s largest companies.

Past reports

New Concerns in an Uncertain World
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index 2007

As 2007 turned into 2008, investors were once again operating on unstable ground. But despite significant obstacles, foreign direct investment (FDI) continued to rise in 2007, and global investors are optimistic about opportunities in the developing world.

Read the complete report.

Global FDI Recovery Clouded By Savings Glut Overhang
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index 2005

China, India, and Eastern Europe have reached new heights of attractiveness as foreign direct investment destinations and increasingly will challenge traditional R&D locations in the industrialized world.

Read the complete report.

China and India Jockey for the Top Most Attractive Foreign Direct Investment Destination Globally While the U.S. Is Challenged by These Rapidly Evolving Economies
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index 2004

Global executives see the best business environment since 2000, yet a return to positive global FDI flows could be complicated by a new mix of operational risks.

Read the complete report.