RED BANK, NJ — June 26, 2025 — Business Facilities, a leading source of news and insights for site selection decision-makers, has revealed top ranked countries for a select number of categories in its Business Facilities Global Rankings. Comprised of Metro, State, and Global rankings, the publication’s 2025 Annual Rankings Report features 60+ categories relevant to corporate relocation and expansion investment decisions. These rankings have served as a valuable resource for site selection teams for more than two decades.
The 21st Annual Rankings Report will be published in the July/August 2025 issue of Business Facilities.
“Foreign direct investment connects economies, businesses, and people across the world. AI and renewable energy are crucial links that power the daily workings of global commerce,” said Business Facilities Editorial Director Anne Cosgrove. “Our Global Rankings examine these factors to deliver the latest insights to site selectors, economic developers, and all stakeholders focused on business location and site selection decisions.”
Foreign Direct Investment: Top Of The World
According to the June 2025 “World Investment Report” from UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), global FDI totaled $1.5 trillion in 2024. As the global economy continues to shift, activity remained relatively strong across both established regions and developing economies.
The Business Facilities ranking for FDI Worldwide recognizes the nations that are leading in capital investment attraction, and the United States leads the list as it has for more than a decade.
Following the United States in this year’s FDI Worldwide ranking are China, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Brazil, Hong Kong, Mexico, and Ireland.
Artificial Intelligence: Boosting Capabilities
According to the “AI Index Annual Report 2025” released by Stanford University, corporate AI investment reached more than $250 billion in 2024, with private investment increasing 44.5% and mergers and acquisitions up 12.1% from the previous year. Private AI investment in the United States grew to $109.1 billion in 2024, notes the report.
The United States tops the Business Facilities ranking for AI Growth Hubs this year, an evaluation that considered factors that include capital investment, number and success of startups, and development of machine learning models.
The others in the Top 5 for AI Growth Hubs are: China, United Kingdom, Sweden, and Canada. Rounding out this ranking — France, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Austria, and Israel.
The AI Jobs Market ranking presents the locations where a concentration of AI talent increased significantly over the past several years. The Top 3 in this list are India, Costa Rica, and Portugal. The other leading countries — Brazil, Cyprus, Estonia, Turkey, Croatia, Denmark, Indonesia, Iceland and Uruguay.
Renewable Energy: Powering Expansion
According to the “Global Electricity Review 2025” report from energy think tank Ember, generation from all low-carbon power sources (renewables plus nuclear) reached 40.9% of global electricity in 2024, up from 39.4% during 2023. Solar and wind power accounted for 15% of global electricity in 2024, up from 13.4% the previous year. Business Facilities Global Rankings Report includes a look at the nations that are leading for solar and wind power, by installed capacity and growth rate.
Ranked this year as the Top 3 for Solar Power (Installed Capacity) — China, United States, and Japan, followed by Germany, India, Brazil, Australia, Spain, Italy, and South Korea. This list reflects a repeat appearance for the 10 countries from the 2024 rankings, at which time Australia and Spain joined the list. The Solar Power (Growth Rate) ranking looks at activity over the last year, and highlights these Top 3: China, United States, and India. Rounding out this ranking are Germany, Brazil, Spain, Italy, France, Japan, and South Korea.
The Wind Power (Installed Capacity) ranking is led by China, United States, and Germany, followed by India, Brazil, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Canada, and Sweden. This year, the Wind Power (Growth of Installed Capacity) ranking focuses on the countries listed above — those leading in installed capacity. Looking through that lens, Brazil, China, and Canada are the Top 3, followed by India, United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, Spain, France, and United States. Additionally, Australia experienced significant growth of installed capacity, though not ranked for overall capacity.
2025 State Rankings: Leading Industry Ecosystems
The Business Facilities 2025 Annual Rankings Report includes State and Metro rankings that provide corporate relocation and expansion decision-makers valuable insight to site selection research. Industry-specific research is aided by the Business Facilities State Rankings that cover a range of industry ecosystems. Slated for coverage in the 2025 Annual Rankings Report to be published in the Business Facilities July/August 2025 issue, these industries include, but are not limited to Aerospace/Defense, Food Processing, Life Sciences, and Semiconductors.
Washington leads the Aerospace/Defense (Employment) ranking, a position it retains from last year. Rounding out the Top 5 for the category are California, Texas, Alabama, and Connecticut. The other recognized states are Florida, Virginia, Arizona, Ohio, Missouri, Georgia, and Arkansas. The Aerospace (Manufacturing) ranking is led by Texas, and the other leaders in this category are Florida, Arizona, Indiana, Georgia, Utah, Ohio, North Carolina, Washington, and Virginia, respectively.
For the Food Processing ranking, which considers employment and capital investment projects, Wisconsin is the leader. The list of 10 states recognized here also includes Iowa, Texas, New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Kansas, respectively.
Topping the Life Sciences ranking is Massachusetts, recognized for its academic and research institutions, along with employment. Rounding out the Life Sciences ranking are California, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Michigan, Washington, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and New York.
For Semiconductors, employment, supply chain advantages, and overall innovation were factors considered for the ranking. Arizona is the leader, with the Top 5 including Texas, California, New York, and Ohio, respectively. Rounding out these leaders Utah, Idaho, Florida, Oregon, and Massachusetts.
Business Facilities is a leading full-service media brand specializing in the site selection marketplace. Through a bi-monthly magazine, e-mail newsletters, a news portal, and its LiveXchange event, Business Facilities has created a dynamic community for C-level executives and economic development organizations.
