Despite the negative international context for investment reported in early October by UNCTAD and the OECD, the Registry records 312 million in investment in Castilla-La Mancha in the first nine months of the year. Castilla-La Mancha received €37.2 million in the first quarter, €47.3 million in the second, and €228 million in the third. Overall, the cumulative figure for the first three quarters of the year is 39% higher than for the same period last year and 116% higher than the average for this period over the last decade.
The figure reached in the third quarter is the best record for a third quarter since data has been available (1993-2025), and the second-best quarterly record of the last decade.
Divestment levels remain very low in Castilla-La Mancha (7.8 million), with net investment in the first nine months of 2025 rising to 304.5 million.
Ciudad Real is the province with the largest share of investment in 2025 (149 million, 47.8%), followed by Albacete (67.4 million, 21.6%), Toledo (66.9 million, 21.4%), and Guadalajara (28.7 million, 9.2%).
In terms of the origin of investments, the following countries stand out in the first nine months of 2025: Germany (€146 million, 46.6%, in energy supply), Belgium (€55 million, 17.6%, mainly in real estate activities), the United States (€53 million, 17.0%, concentrated in real estate activities -€36 million and the food industry -€15 million) and the Netherlands (€24 million, 7.7%, entirely in poultry processing and preservation in the first quarter). Investments from the United Kingdom (18.5 million, mainly in Education and Energy Supply) and Denmark (11.9 million, in the primary sector – pig farming) are also significant.
The above transactions determine the sectoral distribution for the period: Energy supply accounts for 48.8% of the flows received in Castilla-La Mancha between January and September 2025 (152 million), followed by real estate activities (90 million, 28.9%), the food industry (39 million, 12.6%), and education (14 million, 4.5%).
On the other hand, the evolution of employment derived from foreign investment in Castilla-La Mancha has been very notable since the lows recorded in 2013 (+136%). Despite the correction recorded in 2021 and 2022, the sharp increase in employment levels in 2023 (+19.8% compared to the previous year, 10,859 new jobs) raises the employment figure in Castilla-La Mancha to 65,755 jobs, the highest in the historical series. In 2023, employment linked to foreign investment represented 7.4% of the working population in Castilla-La Mancha.
Six countries (France, the United States, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom) account for 78% of employment in foreign-owned companies in Castilla-La Mancha.
As for foreign investment stock, this has experienced a significant increase, reaching €2.539 million in 2023, representing a 22.9% increase over the previous year. This variable, which is strongly influenced by the headquarters effect, does not reflect the real importance of FDI in the local economy.
The stock of tangible fixed assets, on the other hand, which is not affected by the headquarters effect, reached an all-time high in 2023, reaching €7.835 million. With these figures, Castilla-La Mancha ranks fifth in Spain based on this variable in absolute terms, and second in relation to its regional GDP (16.6%).
In addition, greenfield projects—new productive investments—continue to be a key driver of the regional economy. In the last full year, 2024, Orbis Crossborder reported 23 cross-border greenfield investment projects, with an associated investment of €714 million and the creation of 1,790 jobs.
In preliminary data for the first ten months of 2025, this source already notes 20 greenfield investment projects in Castilla-La Mancha, with an associated investment of over €1 billion (€1.039 billion) and 1,604 new jobs.
Summing up, Castilla-La Mancha continues to consolidate its position as an attractive destination for foreign investment, with sustained growth that contributes to economic development and job creation in the region.
