Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows in Malta increased by €3.4 billion during 2020 as the overall stock position increased to €196.2 billion, according to data released by the National Statistics Office.
The main contributors to this increase in total FDI flows were financial and insurance activities, with a total contribution of over 90 per cent.
In December 2020, the stock position of FDI amounted to €8.3 billion more than the corresponding period a year earlier.
In terms of direct investment abroad (referring to investments made by Malta investors in foreign economies), the stock position stood at €58.8 billion in December 2020, down by €0.9 billion from the position at the end of 2019.
Financial and insurance activities made up 99.5 per cent of total FDI abroad, as flows totalled €6.3 billion, mainly in the form of claims by direct investors.
The news comes as globally, FDI was significantly down in 2020. This is evident in the case of the European Union, where inward FDI flows (according to the OECD) decreased significantly falling to $132 billion (€114.24 billion) from $375 billion (€324.53 billion) a year earlier.
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