Report foreign investment 2025

Business France has today published the national figures for the “Annual Report 2025: Foreign Investment in France”, which confirm that foreign businesses continue to choose France as an investment location.

In 2025, 1,878 foreign investment decisions were recorded, creating or maintaining 47,734 jobs. France has cemented its position as a leading destination for foreign investors. Foreign businesses are re-affirming their confidence, which was demonstrated on May 19, 2025, through the number of investment announcements at the eighth “Choose France” Summit, a key event for the economic attractiveness policy championed by President Emmanuel Macron.

In terms of the activities targeted by these investments, retail outlets led the way in 2025, with 522 investment decisions recorded, which was partly due to more comprehensive recording of data at the municipal level. This was followed by manufacturing activities (472 projects) and decision-making centers (299 projects).

The strength of the French domestic market is confirmed by the dense presence of brands belonging to foreign groups. France’s structural advantages, namely its skilled workforce, its capacity for innovation and its infrastructure, enabled manufacturing projects to grow by 1.5% between 2024 and 2025. After an exceptional year in 2023, such projects returned to a level similar to that of 2021 and 2022.

Excluding retail outlets, the number of projects increased by 2% compared with 2024.

Foreign businesses supported by Business France between 2014 and 2024 are making a significant contribution to the country’s commercial momentum. In 2024, they generated €57.3 billion in exports according to French Customs Authorities, amounting to nearly 10% of French goods exports.

In 2025, 1,021 foreign businesses undertook at least one investment project in France, confirming the diversity and scale of international interest in the country. Among them, 315 were first-time investors in France, accounting for nearly one-third of all project developers in 2025. The arrival of these first-time investors reflects the renewal of the international economic fabric present in France and the country’s genuine attractiveness to new businesses, whether they operate in the services sector (53%) or in industry (47%).

New site creations in France remained the leading type of business operation in 2025, amounting to 1,161 projects, or 62% of all investment decisions. The 563 expansions accounted for 30% of recorded decisions. Takeovers, accounting for 3% of projects, played a crucial role in preserving the industrial fabric and jobs, with 48 sites in financial difficulties taken over, safeguarding 5,249 jobs. This distribution illustrates a balanced model of economic attractiveness, based both on attracting new investors and strengthening existing operations. Takeovers also contribute to modernizing production facilities and ensuring the sustainability of economic activity, particularly in France’s most vulnerable regions.

In 2025, wholesale and retail activities played a key role in the investment landscape. Thanks to an improved methodology, enabling comprehensive detection of retail openings at the municipal level, 522 foreign-owned retail outlets have been identified. This confirms the major role of retail in driving local economic activity, particularly in municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants, which are located closest to consumer markets.

However, this dynamic remains uneven across different sectors. Some are highly attractive, such as agri-food, energy/recycling and healthcare, while others, including metallurgy and paper/cardboard, which are undergoing structural transformations, are adopting a wait-and-see approach. In these sectors in transition, preserving existing investments is becoming as essential as attracting new ones. This places business support at the heart of Business France’s work.

These projects also align with national strategic priorities. For example, “France 2030” occupies a central place in the foreign investment trends observed in 2025, with 25% of the decisions recorded and 46% of the jobs projected relating to priorities directly targeted by this strategic plan, such as artificial intelligence, healthcare, low-carbon mobility and renewable energy.

The European Union remained the primary source of these foreign investments, accounting for 72% of projects and 56% of jobs. The United States, however, remained the leading contributor in terms of jobs, representing nearly one-quarter of the jobs identified by Business France. Germany was ranked second with over 5,200 jobs, or 11% of the total, with Italy completing the top three, contributing 10% of the jobs projected for 2025.

Finally, across France, industrial investments were largely concentrated in municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants, which were the recipients of 45% of projects and 52% of associated jobs. This distribution demonstrates how international projects can have a significant impact on the country.

“Against a backdrop of increased international competition and strong geopolitical tensions, France is once again demonstrating its ability to remain competitive. With nearly 1,900 investment decisions projected for 2025, our country confirms that it remains a competitive destination for foreign investors. This momentum enables France to occupy a central position on the international stage, as well as to support job creation and the development of industrial and service activities throughout the country.” Nicolas Forissier, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness

“In a complex international environment, marked by persistent tensions and significant economic uncertainty, the results of the Annual Report 2025 confirm foreign investors’ confidence in France. With 1,878 investment decisions, France is demonstrating its resilience by capitalizing on the strength of its fundamentals. Estimated growth of +0.9%, inflation contained at 1.1% and a largely decarbonized energy mix offer significant competitive advantages for international businesses.” Pascal Cagni, Ambassador for International Investment and Chairman of the Board of Business France

“France has confirmed its status as a prime destination for investors from around the world. This is the result of a strong economic attractiveness policy. I am delighted to see that we continue to attract forward-looking projects, thanks to a skilled workforce, an innovative environment and a buoyant domestic market.” Roland Lescure, Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty

“Business France, with its partners, transforms expressions of interest into concrete projects by supporting firms from first contact right through to final approval, to secure and speed up their establishment in France.” Marie-Cécile Tardieu, Chief Operating Officer (Investment Division) at Business France