The Only Region Gaining Foreign Investment in 2026
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Key Takeaways
- Global greenfield investment projects fell 17.5% year over year from March to May 2026.
- North America was the only region to record an increase, with project announcements rising 4.2%.
- The Middle East recorded the sharpest decline, with new projects down 67.1%.
Companies announced far fewer foreign investment projects in early 2026 as geopolitical uncertainty weighed on business confidence worldwide. North America was the only major region to attract more greenfield investment projects than a year earlier.
This graphic compares foreign direct investment (FDI) project announcements across global regions from March to May 2026 with the same period in 2025, using preliminary data from fDi Intelligence.
North America: The Safe Haven
North America recorded 1,517 greenfield FDI project announcements between March and May, up 4.2% from the same period in 2025. It was also the only region to post year-over-year growth.
The table below shows the number of FDI project announcements in each region in 2025 and 2026.
| Region | 2025 FDI (# of projects, Mar-May) |
2026 FDI (# of projects, Mar-May) |
YoY change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 1,456 | 1,517 | 4.2 |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 378 | 345 | -8.7 |
| Asia-Pacific | 998 | 883 | -11.5 |
| Africa | 208 | 183 | -12.0 |
| Western Europe | 1,235 | 940 | -23.9 |
| Emerging Europe | 315 | 206 | -34.6 |
| Middle East | 580 | 191 | -67.1 |
| Global Total | 5,170 | 4,265 | -17.5 |
Despite this growth, North America has still experienced some cooling in investor interest. Its 2026 project total remains 1.5% below the post-COVID average from 2021 to 2025.
Even so, North America has performed better than every other region. The shortfall from its recent average shows that the continent, amid trade tensions and political challenges, is not immune to broader investor caution.
The Gulf’s War Problem
At the opposite end of the ranking, the Middle East recorded a 67.1% decline in new project announcements, the steepest drop of any region. Just 191 projects were announced in early 2026, compared with 580 in the same period of 2025.
For decades, Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have cultivated global reputations for stability and investor safety. However, the multi-month Iran War has disrupted that perception and prompted investors to reassess risks across the broader Middle East.
An eventual ceasefire and the resumption of steady trade through the Strait of Hormuz could help restore investor confidence, particularly in the Gulf states.
Tough Times for Global Investment
Every other region fell between North America and the Middle East in terms of 2026 performance. Emerging Europe recorded a 34.6% decline in greenfield project announcements as the Russia-Ukraine war entered its fourth year.
Even relatively peaceful regions saw investment activity decline. Western Europe posted a 23.9% year-over-year drop, while Africa and Asia-Pacific each recorded declines of roughly 12%.
Latin America and the Caribbean performed best outside North America, with project announcements falling a comparatively modest 8.7%. Its distance from major geopolitical fault lines in Eastern Europe and the Middle East may have helped limit the decline.
Overall, every major region except North America recorded fewer greenfield investment announcements than a year earlier. The pattern highlights how geopolitical uncertainty and weaker business confidence weighed on cross-border investment in early 2026.
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