مجلة اقتصاد المال و الأعمال
Volume 9, Numéro 3, Pages 25-38
2025-09-30

Assessing Multinational Production Through Foreign Direct Investment Statistics: Challenges And Recent Advances

Authors : Zenagui Sid Ahmed .

Abstract

Foreign direct investment (FDI) statistics are widely used as a proxy for multinational production and the activities of multinational enterprises (MNEs). However, FDI statistics have faced criticism due to their susceptibility to being influenced by financial motives that are largely unrelated to real production activities. This paper surveys recent advancements in the compilation of international FDI statistics aimed at addressing these challenges. We examine how these improved statistics enhance the alignment between FDI data and multinational production, offering clearer insights. Additionally, we provide practical guidance for applied researchers on effectively implementing these refined approaches in their analyses.

Keywords

balance of payments ; foreign affiliates ; foreign direct investment (FDI) ; multinational enterprises ; multinational production