Foreign investment in Catalonia drops 59% to €1.2 billion in first half of 2025

Foreign investment in Catalonia fell by 58.7% in the first half of 2025, according to data released by Spain's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise.

Total investment reached €1.19 billion, significantly below the €2.88 billion recorded during the same period last year.

The sharp decline in Catalonia follows the broader trend in Spain as a whole, with foreign investment falling 60% year-on-year to €8.48 billion.

Catalonia accounted for 14% of all foreign investment in Spain, while the Madrid region attracted 53%.

However, it's important to note that the Spanish government's statistics allocate investments to the region where a company has its registered headquarters, regardless of where the funds are ultimately deployed.

This accounting method contributes to the so-called capital city effect, skewing figures in favour of Madrid.

Within Catalonia, the vast majority of foreign investment – €1.13 billion – was directed to the city of Barcelona.