Foreign Investment in UK
(asked on 18th November 2025) - View Source
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which sectors have experienced (1) the highest growth in foreign investment, and (2) the largest decline in foreign investment, over the past three years.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
Darren Tierney | Permanent Secretary
The Lord Risby
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
25 November 2025
Dear Lord Risby,
As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking which sectors have experienced (1) the highest growth in foreign investment, and (2) the largest decline in foreign investment, over the past three years (HL12068).
Our statistics for inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) positions measure the investment held by UK-resident companies that have foreign immediate parent companies. FDI positions are essentially the stock of investment held at a point in time. Our statistics are defined by the Standard Industrial Classification 2007 (SIC07), and our published results disaggregate UK total FDI into 18 industries.
· Table 1 shows the three industries with the biggest percentage increase and decrease in FDI positions at the end of 2023 compared with the end of 2020.
· Table 2 includes the three industries with the highest and lowest value increases for inward FDI positions at the end of 2023 compared with at the end of 2020.
· Table 3 gives the three industries with the highest annual percentage increase in FDI positions compared with the end of the previous year for each year between 2021 and 2023.
· Table 4 gives the three industries with the lowest annual percentage increase (biggest decrease) in FDI positions for each year between 2021 and 2023.
Yours sincerely,
Darren Tierney
Table 1: Industries with the highest and lowest percentage increase at the end of 2023 compared with the end of 2020 for inward foreign direct investment positions
Rank | Industry | Percentage change at end-2023 compared with end-2020 |
Highest | Administrative and support service activities | 747.6 |
Second | Agriculture, forest and fishing | 98.9 |
Third | Information and communication | 40.3 |
Lowest | Mining and quarrying | -68.3 |
Second | Computer, electronic and optical products | -32.1 |
Third | Professional, scientific and technical services | -29.6 |
Source: Foreign direct investment involving UK companies (directional): inward[1],2
Table 2: Industries with the highest and lowest value increase at the end of 2023 compared with the end of 2020 for inward foreign direct investment positions, £ million
Rank | Industry | Change in value at end-2023 compared with end-2020 |
Highest | Administrative and support service activities | 163,324 |
Second | Financial services | 76,771 |
Third | Other services | 65,871 |
Lowest | Professional, scientific and technical services | -81,542 |
Second | Mining and quarrying | -67,499 |
Third | Manufacture of petroleum, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, rubber and plastic products | -11,381 |
Source: Foreign direct investment involving UK companies (directional): inward1,[2]
Table 3: Industries with the highest annual percentage increase for inward foreign direct investment positions, 2021 to 2023
Year | Rank | Industry | Percentage change from previous year |
2021 | Highest | Administrative and support service activities | 502.5 |
2021 | Second | Agriculture, forest and fishing | 51.1 |
2021 | Third | Other services | 26.8 |
2022 | Highest | Computer, electronic and optical products | 59.9 |
2022 | Second | Mining and quarrying | 36.4 |
2022 | Third | Other manufacturing | 30.4 |
2023 | Highest | Agriculture, forest and fishing | 43.1 |
2023 | Second | Information and communication | 32.2 |
2023 | Third | Administrative and support service activities | 26.4 |
Source: Foreign direct investment involving UK companies (directional): inward1,2
Table 4: Industries with the lowest annual percentage increase for inward foreign direct investment positions, 2021 to 2023
Year | Rank | Industry | Percentage change from previous year |
2021 | Lowest | Mining and quarrying | -79.1 |
2021 | Second | Computer, electronic and optical products | -34.4 |
2021 | Third | Information and communication | -11.9 |
2022 | Lowest | Professional, scientific and technical services | -15.4 |
2022 | Second | Textiles and wood activities | -8.5 |
2022 | Third | Agriculture, forest and fishing | -8.0 |
2023 | Lowest | Computer, electronic and optical products | -35.3 |
2023 | Second | Transport equipment | -30.2 |
2023 | Third | Professional, scientific and technical services | -27.2 |
Source: Foreign direct investment involving UK companies (directional): inward1,2
[1] Foreign direct investment statistics disaggregated by main industrial activity does not include banks, bank holding companies, public corporations and property. The FDI of these entities is included in the UK total.