After sharp declines in 2010, EU27 foreign direct investment (FDI) flows more than doubled in 2011. EU27 FDI flows to the rest of the world (outflows) reached €370 billion in 2011, after having shrunk from €316 bn in 2009 to €146 bn in 2010. FDI into the EU27 from the rest of the world (inflows) totalled €225 bn in 2011, after having declined from €234 bn in 2009 to €104 bn in 2010, Eurostat reported, on 13 June.

In 2011, the main destinations of EU investments were the USA (€111 bn), offshore financial centres (€59 bn), Switzerland (€32 bn), Brazil (€28 bn), China (€18 bn) and Canada and India (both €12 bn). A disinvestment of €2 bn was recorded with Russia in 2011.

In 2011, the United States (€115 bn) was the largest investor in the EU27, followed by Switzerland (€34 bn), offshore financial centres (€16 bn), Canada (€7 bn), Hong Kong (€6 bn) and Japan and Brazil (both €5 bn).

Luxembourg, with investments of €110 bn, was the largest investor outside the EU27 in 2011, followed by the United Kingdom (€89 bn), Germany (€34 bn), France (€21 bn), Spain (€19 bn) and Belgium (€16 bn). Luxembourg (€86 bn) was also the main recipient of investments from outside the EU27, ahead of Sweden (€16 bn), Spain (€15 bn), the United Kingdom (€14 bn), France (€12 bn) and Germany (€11 bn). The role of Luxembourg in EU FDI is mainly explained by the importance of its financial intermediation activity.

The EU27 was, in 2011, a net investor in the rest of the world, with outflows higher than inflows by €145 bn.