Last year's foreign direct investment was twice lower than in 2003, when it amounted to $2.04 billion, and was the lowest since 1999, when it exceeded one billion for the first time, amounting to $1.47 billion.
Of the total amount of last year's foreign direct investment, $319 million referred to ownership, $332 million to retained earnings, while $439.7 million referred to trade credits, loans, currency and deposits.
Nineteen per cent of foreign direct investment went into the takeover of stock in existing banks or the recapitalisation of banks owned by foreigners, while most of the investment in the trade sector went into big chain stores.
In the 1993-2004 period, 21.4 per cent of all foreign ownership investment was made into the banking sector, followed by 15.9 per cent invested into telecommunications, 10.5 per cent into the pharmaceutical industry, 7.8 per cent into the production of oil products, and 3.9 per cent into drilling for oil and gas.
The biggest investors in Croatia over the last 12 years were Austria and Germany, accounting for half the total amount invested from abroad.
Austria accounted for 30 per cent of last year's foreign direct investment, followed by Germany with 19.3 per cent, while over the past 12 years Austria accounted for 26.2 and Germany for 20 per cent.
In the last 12 years, the United States accounted for 14 per cent of foreign direct investment, Hungary for 6.2, Italy for 5.9, the Netherlands for 5.8, and Luxembourg for 5.6 per cent.