According to recently published United Nations Conference on Trade and Investment (UNCTAD) statistics for 2005, foreign direct investment (fdi) inflows round the world climbed sharply in 2005 to an estimated USD 897 billion, up 29% on the year before ($695 bn). UNCTAD comments that the four-year slump in investment flows to developing countries was sharply reversed. Fdi in the world's wealthier nations shot up an estimated 38% in 2005 to $573 bn from $415 bn in 2004, led by mounting investment in the United Kingdom, which led the world in fdi for the first time since 1977 ($219.1 bn in 2005, up from $77.6 bn in 2004). Fdi in the UK in 2005 was double the fdi in the United States, despite a slight improvement on 2004 in the US ($106 bn, up from $ 95.9 bn). Fdi inflows to the EU25 totalled $407.7 bn in 2005 (compared with $231.4 bn in 2004), with $445.3 bn of this invested in the 15 old EU Member States. Fdi to the ten new EU Member States totalled $ 37.7 bn in 2005. There were also increases in fdi in developing countries (13%), and South-East European and the Community of Independent States (reaching a total of $174 bn for the latter group of countries). This was less spectacular, however, than the rise 41% rise in 2004. In Africa, there was a record amount of fdi inflows, $29 bn (+55%). This African record saw fdi rising in all the big oil producing countries (including Sudan) like Egypt ($4.1 bn) and South Africa ($7.2 bn). In Asia, fdi inflows rose to $173 bn. For the first time since 1999, China (the biggest recipient of fdi in Asia and of all developing countries) saw no rise in fdi inflows, which remained virtually unchanged at $ 60 bn. South Korea and Malaysia saw falling fdi inflows (to $4.5 and $4.2 bn respectively), while investment in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Thailand increased (to $ 39.7 bn, $3.5 bn and $3.7 bn respectively). In Latin America and the Caribbean (including Central America), fdi inflows rose at a slower rate than in 2004 ($72 bn, +5%). Brazil saw a 15% fall in fdi to $16 bn, losing its place as the recipient of the greatest amount of fdi in the region to Mexico, which also saw a fall in its fdi, to $17 bn. Chile is continuing to attract foreign investment ($7 bn) and Colombia registered a significant increase in fdi inflows to $4.5 bn, mainly due to a cross-border merger and acquisition deal between Bavaria and SABMiller. In South-East Europe and the CIS, fdi totalled around $50 bn last year. In Russia alone, fdi inflows were more than double the 2004 level, rising from $12 bn to $26 bn). Info: http: //http://www.unctad.org.