The Foreign direct investment in Bulgaria amounted to EUR 3,659.8 million (10.8% of GDP) in the period January - September 2008, compared to EUR 4,715.2 million (16.3% of GDP) attracted in January - September 200, preliminary data of the Bulgarian National Bank show.

The attracted Equity Capital (acquisition/disposal of shares and equities in cash and contributions in kind by non-residents in/from the capital and reserves of Bulgarian enterprises and receipts/payments from/for real estate deals in the country) for January - September 2008 amounted to EUR 2,328.7 million, which was 63.6% of the foreign direct investment.

It decreased by EUR 542.4 million compared to that attracted in the same period of 2007 (EUR 2871.1 million). The receipts from real estate investments of non-residents amounted to EUR 1,051.7 million compared to EUR 1,381.6 million for January - September 2007.

The attracted equity capital on privatization deals with non-residents (that have acquired over 10% of the equity in a Bulgarian enterprise) reported in January - September 2008 did not increase, compared to an increase of EUR 86.5 million in January - September 2007. The attracted equity capital on non-privatisation deals totalled EUR 2,328.7 million in the reporting period, compared to EUR 2,784.7 million for the same period in 2007.

The other capital, net (the change in the net liabilities of the direct investment enterprise to the direct investor on financial loans, suppliers' credits and debt securities) was positive, amounting to EUR 938.9 million in January - September 2008, compared to a net other capital amounting to EUR 1,554.8 million in the same period of 2007. It decreased by EUR 616 million compared to that attracted in the same period of 2007.

The Reinvested Earnings (the share of non-residents in the undistributed earnings/ loss of the enterprise) in January - September 2008 are estimated at EUR 392.2 million compared to EUR 289.3 million in the same period of the previous year. They increased by EUR 102.9 million in comparison with the same period in the previous year.

By country, the largest investments in Bulgaria for the reporting period were those of Austria (17.7% of the total foreign direct investment), the Netherlands (13.8%) and the UK (9%).

By branch, the largest investments for January - September 2008 were in Financial intermediation (EUR 931.8 million), Real estate, renting and business activities (EUR 922.2 million) and Manufacturing (EUR 597.1 million).