UK's investment performance 'worse than every other G7 country'

20 Jun 2024

Data published by think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has found that the UK's investment performance is worse than every other country in the G7.

It found that, compared to the USA, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Japan, the UK 'languished' in last place for business investment in 2022.

The IPPR also revealed that the UK has been bottom of the G7 league for investment in 24 out of the last 30 years. It said that the UK has the lowest rates of investment of any G7 economy, and that it ranks 28th out of 31 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries for business investment. 

According to the IPPR, countries such as Hungary, Slovenia and Latvia attract higher levels of private sector investment than the UK as a percentage of GDP.

Dr George Dibb, Associate Director for Economic Policy at the IPPR, commented: 'If the economy is an engine, then investment is its fuel. The UK's dire productivity performance is the single biggest driver of our dire living standards. Without resources flowing into new investment, it's hard to see how UK economic performance can improve.'