Foreign investment and exports hit record high in Catalonia

• Foreign investment hit a record-breaking 1.959 billion euros in the first semester.
• Between January and July, Catalan exports totaled nearly 38 billion euros

There’s no end in sight for foreign investment in Catalonia. In fact, it hit an all-time record in the first semester of the year. Foreign companies invested 1.959 billion euros, nearly four times more than in all of 2014 and an amount never before seen in Catalonia.

Specifically regarding foreign industrial investment, the total was 354.7 million euros, up 286.8% from the same period in 2014 (91.7 million euros). Catalonia saw 35.1% of all foreign investment in the manufacturing industry in Spain in the first half of 2015, well above the 11.4% in 2014 and the average of 28.6% for 2008-2014.

Additionally, Catalan exports were up 7.4% in July year on year, confirming the positive evolution of Catalan foreign trade. By sector, according to data from the Ministry, the most noteworthy growth came in the automotive (18.2%) and chemicals sectors (7.2%). With regard to Europe, the growth in Catalan exports was above the average for the European Union (5.1%) and that of benchmark countries like France (1.6%), Germany (6.2%) and the United Kingdom (-2.2%).

The volume of sales abroad in July helped put Catalan exports up 7.2% year on year for the January to July period. The combined total for exports in these months was 37.986 billion euros, making up 25.6% of the Spanish total and reaffirming the exporting strength of the Catalan economy.

Catalonia, number one region in attracting foreign investment in Western Continental Europe 
According to data from FDI Markets, in the first half of 2015 Catalonia was the number one region in Western Continental Europe in terms investment, both by volume and by number of jobs created. FDI Markets highlights that Catalonia has been the number one region in Continental Europe in attracting investment by job creation every year from 2010-2014, with the exception of 2011.