A United Nations report shows that levels of foreign direct investment across the world reached a record level last year.
But the World Investment Report, from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), says investment may have peaked.
Levels of foreign investment surged by 30% to $1,833 billion, beating a previous record set in 2000. Investment into developed countries was worth $1,248 billion, with the US the largest recipient, followed by the UK, France, Canada and the Netherlands.
But the UNCTAD report says investment rose in nearly all regions, with Latin America and the Caribbean showing a 36% increase.
Flows of foreign investment into Ireland last year amounted to $31 billion, the 16th highest. This followed three years of negative figures due to large loan repayments by subsidiaries based here to their parent companies. Investment from Ireland rose by more than 30% to $20.7 billion.
It predicts that investment to and from richer countries will decline soon because of the financial crisis and weakening economic growth.
A survey released with the report shows that the percentage of companies planning large increases in investment overseas has dropped significantly this year. The most attractive destinations for future investment are seen as the US, China, Brazil, India and Russia.
