Foreign direct investment in the South West by project type and investor characteristics

17 Mar 2026

This data insight describes inward foreign direct investment (FDI) activity in the South West, focusing on the types of projects recorded and the characteristics of investing firms.

The analysis uses official statistics published by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and covers the number of FDI projects and associated new jobs. Results are presented by project type and investor type, with comparisons to other UK regions and England excluding London where appropriate.

The total number of FDI projects is broken down into three categories: (i) new investment - when a foreign investor establishes a new entity in the region, (ii) expansion projects - when an existing investor expands an existing foreign direct enterprise in the region, and (iii) mergers and acquisitions - when a foreign investor merges with or acquires at least 10% of an existing UK company.

FDI figures relate to projects landing in each financial year. Sub-national totals exclude multi-site projects. Some values are suppressed to protect commercial confidentiality.

The South West region is one of 12 International Territorial Level 1 areas (ITL1) in the UK. It comprises Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire.

1,786

New jobs from FDI expansion projects in the South West, 2024/25.

27

New investment FDI projects recorded in the South West, 2024/25.

82.8%

Share of South West FDI-related new jobs attributed to existing investors, 2024/25.

43.6%

Share of South West FDI projects attributed to new investors, 2024/25.

Number of FDI-related new jobs by project type, UK regions, 2024/25

This visualisation shows the number of new jobs associated with inward FDI projects, split by project type, across UK regions in the financial year 2024/25.

In the South West, 680 new jobs were associated with new investment projects, while 1,786 new jobs were associated with expansion projects. Job figures for mergers and acquisitions are suppressed to protect commercial confidentiality.

Across regions, the composition of FDI-related new jobs varied. London recorded the highest number of new jobs linked to new investment projects, while several regions recorded higher numbers of jobs linked to expansion projects. Some regional values are suppressed due to disclosure control.

Number of FDI projects by project type, UK regions, 2024/25

This visualisation presents the number of inward FDI projects by project type across UK regions in the financial year 2024/25.

The South West recorded 27 new investment projects, 15 expansion projects and 13 mergers and acquisition projects. Project totals exclude multi-site investments.

Across regions, the mix of project types differed. London recorded the highest number of new investment projects. Excluding London, regions such as the West Midlands and North West recorded relatively higher numbers of expansion projects. Some values are suppressed to avoid disclosure.

FDI-related new jobs by investor type, UK regions, 2024/25

This visualisation shows the proportion of FDI-related new jobs associated with new and existing investors across UK regions in the financial year 2024/25.

In the South West, 17.2% of FDI-related new jobs were attributed to new investors, while 82.8% were attributed to existing investors. This compares with 20.7% from new investors and 79.3% from existing investors in England excluding London.

Across regions, the share of jobs linked to existing investors was higher than the share linked to new investors in most cases. Percentages are calculated using published job counts only and exclude suppressed values to protect commercial confidentiality.

Number of FDI projects by investor type, UK regions, 2024/25

This visualisation presents the proportion of inward FDI projects attributed to new and existing investors across UK regions in the financial year 2024/25.

In the South West, 43.6% of FDI projects were from new investors and 56.4% were from existing investors. For England excluding London, 30.6% of projects were from new investors and 69.4% were from existing investors.

Across regions, the balance between new and existing investors varied. Percentages are calculated from published project counts only and exclude suppressed categories to protect commercial confidentiality.

EU investor share of FDI projects and new jobs, UK regions, 2022/23 to 2024/25

This visualisation shows the proportion of inward FDI projects and associated new jobs attributed to EU investors across UK regions, based on aggregated data for the period 2022/23 to 2024/25.

In the South West, EU investors accounted for 42.7% of FDI projects and 43.2% of associated new jobs over the period. This compares with 41.0% of projects and 40.6% of new jobs in England excluding London.

Percentages are calculated as shares of total recorded FDI activity. Sub-national totals exclude multi-site projects, and some values are suppressed to protect confidentiality.