LJUBLJANA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Slovenia increased by 3.6 percent in 2024 to reach a total of 23 billion euros (27 billion U.S. dollars), the Bank of Slovenia reported on Tuesday.
"Foreign direct investment in Slovenia increased mainly on account of fresh capital and retained profits of existing investors," the bank said in the report.
Austria remains Slovenia's largest FDI source, accounting for 21.2 percent of total inbound investment, primarily in the manufacturing, trade, and vehicle maintenance and repair sectors.
Slovenia's outbound FDI rose even more sharply, climbing by 11.9 percent to 10.6 billion euros in 2024. Most of Slovenia's foreign investments were directed to neighboring Croatia, which received 35.6 percent of the total.
Both inbound and outbound FDI have been rising steadily in recent years and are considered important contributors to Slovenia's gross domestic product. According to the Bank of Slovenia, the country's gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to grow by 1.3 percent in 2025 and by 2.4 percent in 2026. (1 euro = 1.18 U.S. dollar) ■