Inward foreign direct investment positions

Inward investment positions in the North East

The total value of foreign based firms’ investment positions in the North East region has increased in recent years. In 2021 the total value of this position was just under £28 billion, an almost 100% increase from just over £15 billion in 2015, although the total value of this position fell slightly between 2020 and 2021. 

The rate of increase since 2015 was comparable in the North East to the rate of increase in England excluding London. The total value per head in the North East region was still lower than all other regions of England in 2021.

Inward investment position refers to balance sheet value of stock owned, including buildings, property and equipment. All of the data on this page refers to the North East region, which includes the Tees Valley combined authority areas as well as the North East LEP. These are experimental statistics, so the ONS advises some caution in their interpretation.

Additional data on the number of jobs and projects created through FDI is available elsewhere on the evidence hub.
 

Inward investment by country and industry

The Netherlands was the single largest contributor to the North East region’s inward investment position in 2021, accounting for 40% of the North East total. The USA was the second largest accounting for a further 25%. Overall countries from the European Union contributed just over half the total.

Two industries alone also contributed just over half the total value in the North East region. These were retail and wholesale and financial services, accounting for 39% and 14% of the total respectively.