The worsening outlook for the global economy and rising geopolitical tensions are having a clear negative impact on cross-border direct investments. During 2022, they fell by 12 per cent globally and all regions lost ground except for Asia and South America.  

In Europe, FDI hit a negative result which meant that a net exodus of foreign investment capital occurred. In North America, FDI fell by 23 per cent compared to the previous year.     

Conversely, Sweden went against the tide of dampened investments in Europe. The latest figures from Statistics Sweden (SCB) show that FDI in the Swedish market reached a new record level of SEK 512 billion in 2022. This represents an all-time high and close to a three-fold increase from the previous year.

In total, the FDI stock in Sweden amounts to SEK 3,722 billion. The services sector accounts for 66 per cent of the foreign-owned assets and the manufacturing sector for 34 per cent.    

A recent survey of Sweden’s investment climate, presented by Business Sweden, reveals that 82 per cent of the responding foreign-owned companies plan to expand their local footprint. Download the report for a full overview of the results.

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