Monday, 25 May 2026
UNCTAD and Egypt highlight global investment trends at launch of World Investment Report 2025
Egypt and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) came together today to launch the 2025 World Investment Report, a leading global source on foreign direct investment (FDI) trends and policies.
The annual report, recognized for its role in shaping international investments, spotlights recent changes in global FDI, with a special focus on sustainable development and progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year’s edition also explores the boom in digital economy investments — the fastest-growing area in the world economy.
Key findings from the report include:
- Mixed Trends in Global Investment: While global FDI rose 4% in 2024 to $1.5 trillion, this growth was largely due to temporary investment flows through certain economies. Excluding these, actual FDI fell by 11%, marking a second year of decline. The outlook for 2025 remains cautious amid continued uncertainty.
- Pressure on Development Goals: Investments supporting SDGs in developing countries—such as in infrastructure, renewable energy, water, sanitation, and agrifood—declined by 25-33%, with only the health sector seeing growth.
- Policy Developments: Nations around the world adopted 174 new policy measures related to investment in 2024, the second-highest on record. Most changes favored investors, but many were influenced by geopolitical and industrial-policy objectives.
- Growing Digital Economy, Persistent Gaps: Investment in the digital economy is rising rapidly, particularly in data centers and fintech, but remains unevenly distributed across regions. The report calls for greater alignment of digital strategies with investment, industrial, and environmental policies to bridge the digital divide.
For more details, visit https://moic.gov.eg/en/news/2309