The United Kingdom is not only Spain’s main tourist market it is also a vital source of investment. Foreign direct investment in Spain rose by 22.6 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, reaching 6,567 million euros, according to updated data from the DataInvex Foreign Investment Register of the State Secretariat for Trade. “The recovery that began in the second half of 2025 is consolidating, despite the still uncertain international context, which demonstrates investors’ confidence in Spain as a priority destination,” the Ministry
of Economy highlighted in a statement. It also highlighted that Spain is strengthening its position as a “dynamic investment destination”, given the “strong performance” of productive projects (new investment and expansion projects known as ‘greenfield’ and ‘brownfield’), which have a direct impact on employment, growth and knowledge transfer. The Community of Madrid accounts for more than half of foreign investment in Spain, with 3,367 million euros, up 4.2 per cent on the first quarter of last year. It is followed by Catalonia, with 1,541 million
euros, a figure that has more than doubled compared with last year. In terms of volume, investment figures are also notable in the Valencian Community (487 million); Castile and León (290 million); Andalusia (198 million); Galicia (163 million); Aragon (159 million) and the Region of Murcia (102 million). The United States retains the top spot in the ranking of leading investor countries, accounting for one in every five euros invested in Spain (21.4 per cent). Both the US and the United Kingdom and France, which
occupy second and third place respectively, have practically doubled their investment in Spain compared with the first quarter of 2025. Furthermore, new partners are emerging, such as South Korea, which ranks as the fourth-largest investor in the country. According to Carlos Cuerpo’s department, among the factors attracting investment to Spain are confidence and stability in the country’s foreign relations, which are seen as a “key driver” of growth, as well as the strengthening of international agreements (Mercosur, India, etc.) that open up opportunities to further
boost investment. Although Spain’s gross investment abroad fell by 60.9 per cent to 2,915 million euros, the Ministry of Economy has highlighted that net investment abroad has doubled year-on-year, reflecting a significant improvement compared with 2025. The United States remains the main destination for Spanish investment abroad, followed by the United Kingdom. Furthermore, there has been a consolidation of key destinations for Spanish investment in countries such as Australia, expanding Spain’s international presence. The main sectors targeted by Spanish investment were financial services (33 per
cent), the food industry (19 per cent) and telecommunications (15 per cent).
United Kingdom, Spain, foreign direct investment, tourism, DataInvex, State Secretariat for Trade, Community of Madrid, Catalonia, greenfield, brownfield, Mercosur, India, Carlos Cuerpo, net investment abroad, financial services, telecommunications, food industry