For foreign investment, restrictions concern the maximum size of the ownership stake allowed for a particular type of activity.
The inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Philippines is $6.8 billion (2020; $8.7 billion in 2019; $9.9 billion in 2018; $10.3 billion in 2017). The total stock of FDI in the country is $88 billion (2019; about $28 billion in 2010). Major investors (2019; %): Singapore (45.2), China (22.7), Republic of Korea (10.6), Japan (5.1), Netherlands (3.7), USA (3.0). Capital inflows are directed mainly to such industries as information technology and communications (56.2%), public utilities (18.6%), manufacturing (15.9%), administrative and support services (4.3%). While FDI stocks in Southeast Asia fell by 31% in 2020 compared to 2019, they grew by 29% in the Philippines over the same period.
The country offers many comparative advantages, including an English-speaking workforce, geographic proximity, and access to emerging markets.
Inflation rates have been relatively stable at around 6% since 2010: 2.4% in 2020 and 2019, 5.2% in 2018; 0.7% in 2015, 3.8% in 2010.