FDI Facts & Figures
Strong showing for FDI in Canada
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Canada reached a 15-year high in 2021. This section breaks down these results in greater detail. The figures use reported data from Statistics Canada and FDI activity data. The information also draws from announcements reported by investors in external sources, such as press releases, and compiled by fDi Markets and PitchBook. Unless otherwise noted, all data is presented in Canadian dollars.
2021 at a glance
$75.5 billion in FDI
736 projects
34,155 jobs forecasted, excluding M&As
Average $65.5 million per project
These figures reflect the highest level of FDI into Canada in 15 years.
Canadian FDI inflows 2021
3.8% of Canada’s GDP
#2 in G7 for FDI inflows
#2 in OECD for FDI inflows
Total value of FDI in Canada: 2012–2021 ($ billions)
Text version
| Year | Total value ($ billions) |
|---|---|
| 2012 | $43.1 |
| 2013 | $71.5 |
| 2014 | $65.2 |
| 2015 | $56.1 |
| 2016 | $47.8 |
| 2017 | $29.6 |
| 2018 | $48.8 |
| 2019 | $66.5 |
| 2020 | $31.1 |
| 2021 | $75.5 |
| 10-year average | $53.5 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 36-10-0025-01
Retrieved: June 10, 2022
For each dollar of GDP generated in the Canadian economy, Canada attracted nearly US$0.72 of FDI in 2021, higher than both the G20 and OECD averages of US$0.38 and US$0.56 respectively.
FDI flows by type (reinvestments, M&As and other flows)
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| Type | % of total FDI | 10-year average |
|---|---|---|
| Reinvestments | 50.2% | 38.4% |
| M&As | 27.5% | 30.1% |
| Other flows | 22.3% | 31.5% |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table
36-10-0025-01
Retrieved: June 10, 2022
Total stock or cumulative value of FDI in Canada reached ~$1.1 trillion in 2021, up 26.5% over the 10-year average.
FDI flows by industry – year over year comparison ($ billions)
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| Industry | 2020 investment ($ billions) | 2021 investments ($ billions) | 10-year average ($ billions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | $31.1 | $75.5 | $53.5 |
| Energy & mining | −$8.8 | $16.6 | $9.6 |
| Manufacturing | $6.1 | $19.2 | $13.1 |
| Trade & transportation | $10.3 | $11.4 | $8.2 |
| Finance & insurance | $4.0 | $9.5 | $5.0 |
| Management of companies & enterprises | $8.6 | $4.6 | $6.9 |
| Other industries | $10.9 | $14.3 | $10.8 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 36-10-0026-01
Retrieved: June 10, 2022
Foreign investment inflows as compared to G7 countries ($US billions)
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| 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 23.2 | 59.7 |
| France | 4.9 | 14.2 |
| Germany | 64.6 | 31.3 |
| Italy | −23.6 | 8.5 |
| Japan | 10.7 | 24.7 |
| United Kingdom | 18.2 | 27.6 |
| United States | 150.8 | 367.4 |
| Total | 248.8 | 533.4 |
Source: UNCTAD
View methodology
Investment into Canada by source country in 2021 ($ billions)
Text version
| Country | $ invested ($ billions) | % growth over 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| All countries | 77.9 | 273.4% |
| United States | 33.9 | 480.9% |
| Netherlands | 3.2 | –53.2% |
| United Kingdom | 6.6 | 25.8% |
| France | 3.6 | 485.0% |
| Brazil | 1.1 | 684.0% |
| Cayman Islands | 1.0 | –3.2% |
| Germany | 0.5 | 239.7% |
| China | 3.1 | 308.6% |
| Bermuda | 3.1 | 662.6% |
| Mexico | 0.1 | 345.3% |
| Japan | –0.2 | 379.1% |
| Luxembourg | 5.3 | –11.7% |
| Hong Kong | –1.8 | 309.9% |
| Australia | 0.5 | –54.8% |
| Switzerland | 11.7 | 334.7% |
| Other countries | 6.3 | 334.0% |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table
36-10-0433-01
Retrieved: June 10, 2022
FDI flows 2021 vs. 2020
−0.8% Developed countries
5.3% Developing countries
2.2% World