Greece is emerging as a powerful magnet for foreign capital across the broader Balkans and Southeast Mediterranean region. According to the annual World Investment Report published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Greece recorded a historic high in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows for 2025, leaving traditional regional powerhouses behind.
Investment flows into Greece surged to a record-breaking $12.86 billion. To put the scale of this rise into perspective, this figure is more than double the $5 billion that flowed in during 2019, and nearly ten times the mere $1.27 billion recorded back in 2015.
Greece’s FDI record in 2025 — ahead of Turkey and Balkan economies
Thanks to years of sustained investment activity and a steady increase in asset values, Greece’s cumulative stock of foreign investment surpassed $100 billion last year — nearly double the $51.8 billion recorded in 2020 — despite the temporary global slowdown caused by the pandemic.
Turkey, which according to the International Monetary Fund has a GDP at least five times larger than Greece’s and a population nearly nine times greater, attracted $12.48 billion in FDI last year.
Balkan countries — many of which have significantly lower labor costs compared to Greece — also fell short in terms of FDI inflows. To illustrate, Bulgaria attracted approximately $3.59 billion, Croatia marginally exceeded $3 billion, Albania recorded $1.85 billion, and Serbia secured $3.92 billion. Smaller nations such as North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina all came in below $700 million.
According to data from the Bank of Greece, the country’s strong performance continued through the first four months of 2026, despite the uncertainty generated by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with foreign investment inflows estimated at €4.4 billion.
Government officials noted that the UNCTAD data not only confirms the remarkable leap Greece has made as an investment destination, but also underscores its growing strategic role in the wider region — while simultaneously contributing to the creation of high-quality jobs and providing an incentive for Greeks who previously emigrated abroad to return home.
The same sources also emphasized that investment activity is no longer limited to real estate transactions and construction, but now spans the energy sector, healthcare services, and the creation of national champions through mergers and acquisitions. “This is yet another tangible proof that the country’s productive model is changing — gradually, but surely — and that this is having a positive ripple effect across many levels,” said a source with direct knowledge of the government’s economic planning team.
