Foreign Direct Investment in New Zealand - statistics & facts
While a small nation, New Zealand has long been seen as a safe and attractive option for overseas investors, intent on making investments by businesses a straightforward and easy process. With an open and transparent economy, New Zealand is a nation that relies on trade and investments, with FDI making up almost 40 percent of the nations GDP in 2023. New Zealand scored high on the foreign direct investment confidence index in 2024, ranking in the top 20 countries on the index, another reason it remains an appealing option for potential investment.
With its generous policies regarding foreign investment and strong growth potential, New Zealand continues to be a country that many overseas investors see as a safe and lucrative place in which to invest.
The variety of FDI in New Zealand
Though well known for its thriving financial and agri-business sectors, many other industries have attracted their share of foreign investment in New Zealand over the years. The consumer discretionary industry in New Zealand attracted around 140 million New Zealand dollars in 2023, down from almost 1.7 billion NZD in 2019. The leading foreign investment transaction in the consumer discretionary industry came from Singapore in 2023, with a 100 million New Zealand dollars investment in InvoCare Ltd. The communications industry in New Zealand has also seen extensive investment over the years, with one investment transaction in the Two Degrees Networks telecommunications company in 2023 worth over one billion New Zealand dollars.Greenfield investments on the rise
Across the globe, many companies look to start new ventures overseas from the ground up, which is commonly referred to as greenfield investments. New Zealand has attracted many such investments, with almost 80 new greenfield investments begun in the country in 2022. The total value of these investments has fluctuated over the years, with the value of greenfield investments in New Zealand in 2022 worth around 2.5 billion USD, compared to the previous year, which saw around 7.5 billion USD worth of investment.With its generous policies regarding foreign investment and strong growth potential, New Zealand continues to be a country that many overseas investors see as a safe and lucrative place in which to invest.
