Overview
- The EY barometer published May 20–21, 2026 shows France led Europe with 852 announced foreign investment projects out of 5,026 but recorded a 17% drop from 2024.
- France ranked second for jobs tied to those projects with 27,921 positions, a modest 4% fall, while the number of sites implanted or expanded fell about 15% to 354.
- AI, cybersecurity, defence and logistics drove gains—France recorded 53 AI projects, up 26%—even as traditional industry sectors such as automotive, chemistry and metallurgy contracted.
- EY reports a marked retreat by American and German firms, which have halved their investments in France since 2022, and growing competition from lower‑cost or more agile southern and central European countries.
- The barometer counts announced decisions not money or completed projects, and the government is preparing the Choose France summit on June 1 to try to secure fresh commitments that could shore up investor confidence.