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ECONOMY

Madrid and Catalonia attract 88% of foreign investment in first half of 2015

Investor confidence boosts national inflows to €8.5 billion, a 73% rise from first half of 2014

Jesús Sérvulo González
Catalonia's automobile manufacturers are attracting some of the foreign investment.
Catalonia's automobile manufacturers are attracting some of the foreign investment.Tejederas

Foreign investment in Spain surged in the second quarter of the year, according to figures released by the Economy Ministry.

The April-through-June figure of €6.15 billion nearly triples the amount of foreign inflows registered in the first three months of the year.

Madrid attracted €4.23 billion while €1.3 billion went to Catalonia, making these two regions the greatest hubs for foreign investment.

Productive investment in Catalonia is growing because nobody sees secession [as happening]”

Economy Minister Luis de Guindos

Between January and June, investors pumped over €8.5 billion into the Spanish economy, with more than 88% of that going to Madrid and Catalonia.

Total foreign investment in the first half of this year represents a 73% increase from the same period in 2014, reflecting renewed confidence in the Spanish economy after a seven-year slump.

In the case of Catalonia, the positive numbers reflect a sharp turnaround from the situation last year, when second-quarter foreign investment fell 13% while the rest of the nation experienced 14% growth.

More information
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Banks warn they may leave Catalonia if it breaks away from Spain

In the first six months of 2015, foreign investment in Catalonia has nearly quadrupled, growing from €515 million in the first half of 2014 to €1.96 billion in the first half of 2015.

Some of these investments are tied to Catalonia’s automobile manufacturing industry.

“Productive investment in Catalonia is growing because nobody sees secession [as happening],” said Economy Minister Luis de Guindos in an interview with Catalan newspaper El Periódico.

“Investors feel that the secessionist scenario of independence is not feasible from a legal point of view,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Madrid regional government issued a statement celebrating the fact that “Madrid managed to attract 68.8% of total foreign investment in Spain, three times more than the second region on the list, Catalonia.”

English version by Susana Urra.

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