UK foreign direct investment (FDI) flows
Quarterly foreign direct investment into and out of the UK: net transactions in equity capital, reinvested earnings and the level of equity capital plus reinvested earnings.
| Indicator | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | Q4-2023 | Q3-2023 | Q2-2023 | Q1-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net transactions in equity capital3 | ||||||||||||||
| Inward — into the UK | 12,481 | 19,150 | 1,418 | -4,143 | 12,418 | -4,000 | -2,711 | 2,860 | 1,338 | 21,183 | 3,750 | 9,680 | 29,211 | |
| Outward — UK abroad | -2,523 | -4,835 | -3,022 | -1,533 | -3,120 | 10,378 | -2,342 | -3,918 | -4,996 | -11,375 | -7,909 | -4,069 | -2,537 | |
| Balance | 9,958 | 14,315 | -1,604 | -5,676 | 9,298 | 6,378 | -5,053 | -1,058 | -3,658 | 9,808 | -4,159 | 5,611 | 26,674 | |
| Level of equity capital and reinvested earnings3 | ||||||||||||||
| Inward — into the UK | 1,767,067 | 1,740,176 | 1,795,346 | 1,820,272 | 1,868,251 | 1,915,758 | 1,991,662 | 1,997,409 | 2,038,494 | 2,009,095 | 2,005,731 | 2,002,163 | 1,999,446 | |
| Outward — UK abroad | 1,755,738 | 1,755,435 | 1,743,047 | 1,769,446 | 1,739,341 | 1,862,031 | 1,848,679 | 1,838,302 | 1,832,387 | 1,867,366 | 1,874,289 | 1,865,841 | 1,867,929 | |
| Balance | -11,329 | 15,259 | -52,299 | -50,826 | -128,910 | -53,727 | -142,983 | -159,107 | -206,107 | -141,729 | -131,442 | -136,322 | -131,517 | |
| Reinvested earnings3 | ||||||||||||||
| Inward — into the UK | 11,429 | 1,835 | -325 | 947 | 4,603 | -7,664 | -6,800 | -754 | 6,967 | -5,603 | 5,228 | 6,150 | 4,703 | |
| Outward — UK abroad | -25,788 | 11,424 | 4,931 | 5,530 | -15,191 | 21,213 | 6,492 | 5,630 | -15,405 | 10,175 | -17,199 | -13,741 | -18,095 | |
| Balance | -14,359 | 13,259 | 4,606 | 6,477 | -10,588 | 13,549 | -308 | 4,876 | -8,438 | 4,572 | -11,971 | -7,591 | -13,392 |
Latest reading
Inward — into the UK stood at £12,481m in Q1 2026. That is −£6,669m from Q4 2025 and +£63m from a year earlier. The series on this page is quarterly and runs from Q1 1987 to Q1 2026. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).
- Latest
- £12,481m
- Q1 2026
- vs previous period
- −£6,669m
- Q4 2025
- vs a year earlier
- +£63m
About this data
Quarterly foreign direct investment into and out of the UK: net transactions in equity capital, reinvested earnings and the level of equity capital plus reinvested earnings. Inward, outward and the balance between them, back to 1985.
Frequently asked questions
- What does UK foreign direct investment (FDI) measure?
- UK FDI measures cross-border investment where an investor gains substantial influence or control, tracking quarterly equity transactions, reinvested earnings and overall capital levels.
- What is the difference between inward and outward UK FDI?
- Inward FDI covers foreign capital invested into UK enterprises, whereas outward FDI tracks overseas investments made by UK-based entities abroad.
- What components are reported in UK FDI flows?
- The data reports net transactions in equity capital, reinvested earnings, and the combined level of equity capital and reinvested earnings for both inward and outward flows.
- How far back does UK quarterly FDI data go?
- Quarterly figures for inward, outward and net balance UK foreign direct investment are published by the Office for National Statistics since 1985.
