Detailed statistics on U.S. direct investment abroad – or “outward direct investment”– and on foreign direct investment in the United States – or “inward direct investment” – are now available on BEA’s website.
Preliminary direct investment statistics are available for 2015 and revised statistics for 2013 – 2014 for outward direct investment and 2012 – 2014 for inward direct investment. These data are now incorporated into the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ data tool, International Trade and Investment Country Facts, as well as BEA’s interactive data tables.
These newly released statistics include data on direct investment for selected countries by major industry on financial transactions, equity, debt instruments, reinvestment of earnings, and income. Statistics are also now available for positions, financial transactions, and income for all countries and for all industries. For inward direct investment, supplementary statistics classified by country of the ultimate beneficial owner are also now available.
In addition to these statistics, another batch of data, previously only available each September in the Survey of Current Business, is now available on our website. This batch includes data on reinvestment ratios and rates of return for both outward and inward direct investment. BEA will still publish these data in a Survey of Current Business article in September.
These new data on direct investment provide vital information to answer questions such as: Where do U.S. companies invest abroad? And which countries invest in the United States?
The map below shows the level of direct investment by U.S. multinationals in foreign countries. This series is based on the country of the immediate investment, or the first step in the ownership chain outside of the United States.
The next map shows the level of foreign direct investment in the United States by foreign multinationals. This series is based on the country of immediate investor, or the first step in the ownership chain outside of the United States. Information on the level of investment by the ultimate owner level (which is the entity who ultimately benefits from the investment) also available in BEA’s interactive data tables.
The maps shown above can be found in the July 2016 Survey of Current Business article summarizing the 2015 direct investment positions.