Madrid draws nearly half of Spain's foreign investment in 2026, Catalonia lags at 19%
Foreign capital in Spain concentrated on Madrid, which received almost half of all inflows in the first half of 2026, while Catalonia attracted about one-fifth.
According to the State Secretariat of Commerce, foreign direct investment in Spain during the first six months of 2026 was heavily weighted toward the capital, accounting for almost half of all incoming capital. Catalonia secured just 19% of the total, and the Valencian Community followed with 15%. The United States led the inflows to Madrid with more than two billion euros, while France contributed just under one billion.
In Catalonia, U.S. investment was modest at around 155 million euros, but South Korean investors supplied roughly 500 million euros. Overall foreign investment fell to half of the previous year's level, though it still exceeded the same period in 2025 by 31%. U.S. capital grew 84% year-on-year, reaching 2.857 billion euros, with major projects in sports, land transport and chemicals. Greenfield projects represented about 30.5% of total FDI, and the Ministry of Economy highlighted growth of over 52% in this segment.
Why it matters
The concentration of foreign capital in Madrid highlights regional disparities in Spain's economic attractiveness.
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