- UK tops Europe for FPS investment, attracting £1.7bn in FDI in 2025 – ahead of Spain and France.
- Foreign investment driving growth and jobs across the whole UK
- Over half of FDI jobs created outside London, with Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow leading growth.
New figures published today (20 May 2026) by the City of London Corporation, show that the UK has once again topped Europe as the leading destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) in financial and professional services (FPS). It attracted £1.7bn in 2025 ahead of Spain (£1.3bn) and France (£1.1bn).
The research highlights the UK’s continued global pull for investors, with 226 financial and professional services projects launched by 164 overseas firms from 34 countries, creating more than 12,200 jobs nationwide.
FDI in financial and professional services brings capital and employment to the whole country, both directly and with the investment flows they bring. After establishing in the UK, many firms substantially grow their investment flows in the UK.
While London remains the UK’s largest magnet for FDI, more than half (53%) of all jobs created by foreign investment were outside the capital, underlining the sector’s role in driving growth across the country. Belfast (£290m), Birmingham (£127m) Cardiff (£75m) and Glasgow (£67m), all ranked among the UK’s top destinations for financial and professional services investment.
The United States was the single largest source of investment, accounting for 53% of total value, followed by India (9%) and Switzerland (4%). The European Union collectively contributed 18% of total FDI.
Globally, the UK ranked as the third most popular destination by number of projects, behind only the UAE and the US, and sixth worldwide by investment value. Over the past five years, London has attracted more financial and professional services investment projects than any other global financial centre.
The findings also underline the UK’s strength as Europe’s leading tech and fintech hub, home to more than 3,500 fintech firms and 1.4 million tech jobs, supported by deep capital markets, a highly skilled workforce and a globally respected regulatory environment.
The UK is also Europe’s largest asset management centre, with £12.1tn in assets under management, reinforcing its position as a launchpad for firms looking to scale internationally.
Policy Chairman at the City of London Corporation, Chris Hayward, said:
“Despite ever increasing global volatility the UK continues to lead Europe as the top destination for investment in financial and professional services. The UK is a magnet to financial institutions as well as global institutional investors. As a global financial centre, London provides: access to global markets; deep, liquid pools of capital for growth; a thriving tech and innovation ecosystem and a highly skilled and international talent pool.
“FDI is essential to driving growth and skilled jobs across the UK. Competition for investment is intensifying. and it’s critical that the UK continues to be attractive to financial and professional services investors. That is why we launched the Office for Investment: Financial Services – in partnership with Government.
“It will serve as a strategic one-stop shop for international financial services investors, offering joined-up, tailored support from market entry to expansion. By making it easier than ever for financial services firms to choose the UK, we’re powering economic growth and driving the prosperity across every corner of the UK.”
The research is available here: http://www.theglobalcity.uk/insights/foreign-direct-investment-2025
Notes to editors
About the City of London Corporation
The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
About the research
This publication was produced by The City of London Corporation using data provided by fDi Markets, a service from The Financial Times Limited, accessed in May 2026.
Foreign direct investment activities refer to cross-border investments from one country to another either through setting up a new entity or expanding the operations in the investment destination. In this publication franchises and M&A activities are excluded.
Further notes to various data points in this publication:
- Definitions for financial services and professional services are drawn from fDi Markets own categorisation, unless specified.
- Jobs data and capital investment data include estimates based on company announcements. The data provider and City of London Corporation takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the jobs and investment data.
- All values in British Pounds converted from US Dollars.
- Sub-sectoral categorisation of firms investing in the UK is based on the City of London Corporation’s own analysis.
