The impact of foreign direct investment on infrastructure development

Purpose This paper investigates the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on infrastructure development, focusing on electricity, transportation and telecommunication. Design/methodology/approach The study employs multivariate regressions on panel data from up to 165 countries over the period 1996–2015, and the instrumental variables two-stage least squares (IV-2SLS) approach to address endogeneity concerns. Findings The results show that FDI promotes most types of infrastructure in the recipient countries. In addition, we find that greenfield investments generally contribute toward infrastructure development, while cross-border M&As exhibit only a little developmental impact and may even exert a negative influence on some infrastructure types. Finally, we find that FDIs have a larger developmental impact on developing nations during the period from 1996 to 2015. Practical implications Our findings suggest that, while policies which aim to attract further FDI may yield desirable developmental outcomes, a closer look at particular FDI strategies is required when implementing such policies to ensure a sustainable FDI-development nexus. Originality/value This study is among the most comprehensive studies in terms of both the time period and the number of countries analyzed, offering a critical examination of the impact of FDI on infrastructure development. At the same time, by decomposing total FDI into its two major strategies (i.e. greenfield investment and cross-border M&As), we also join the line of work that examines the mechanisms through which FDI affects the development of recipient countries. Finally, it highlights that FDI significantly impacts developing nations, particularly in infrastructure projects affected by corruption. Conversely, in developed countries, FDI may hinder domestic investment and long-term growth.