The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has just confirmed that transnational corporations view India as a top destination for foreign direct investment, next only to the United States and China in that order. The top three rankings remained unchanges from 2012 and are reported on Page 50 of the report which is a no-fee download from the UNCTAD website.
In 2012 – for the first time ever – developing economies absorbed more FDI than developed countries, with four developing economies ranked among the five largest recipients in the world. Developing countries also generated almost one third of global FDI outflows, continuing an upward trend that looks set to continue.
Indonesia, Brazil, Germany and Mexico rank 4th to 7th respectively. Russia’s rank slipped to 11 from 8 last year.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
