Foreign investment continued to grow in Spain in the first quarter of the year, according to data collected by the DataInvex Foreign Investment Register, which is part of the State Secretariat for Trade. Gross foreign investment flows actually increased by 8.1% compared to the same period in 2022.

The main indicator, however, is non-ETVE investment, which excludes investments by entities holding foreign securities. In this case, growth was 20.3% compared to the first quarter of 2022, amounting to €9.912 billion. Moreover, if this figure is compared to the average of the previous five years, growth was 50.8%.

Sectors with more investments
In the analysis by sector, industrial activities have become more important among investors and are the main recipient, receiving 48.8% of the total foreign investment received in the first quarter of 2023. This is followed closely behind by the services industry, which is in second place with 48.5% of investment flows from abroad. In third place, and already a long way behind, construction received 2.6% of foreign investment.

DataInvex also analyses the origin of the investments, and places the United States as the main investor in Spain, with no less than 58.1% of the non-ETVE investment flows that ended up in Spanish companies. Together with Australia and France, these three countries accounted for 72.6% of investments. The next largest investing countries were Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Japan.

Autonomous communities
The Community of Madrid accounted for 67.6% of investments, with €6.699 billion. It was followed by the Valencian Community, with €2.032 billion, representing 20.5% of the total and a growth of 132.2% compared to the same period in 2022. This was followed by Catalonia, Murcia and Andalusia.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Héctor Gómez, said that "the government's economic policy currently plays a key role in generating confidence abroad, as shown by today's figures. Legal certainty and economic growth reflect the good period Spain is experiencing and the desire to invest in our country, with industry being the main sector receiving investment.