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International investment in the West of England has fallen to a five-year low, a new report finds.

The region saw a 14 per per cent decline in foreign direct investment (FDI) projects to 30 last year - down from 35 in 2018 - the lowest recorded since 2014, according to the EY 2020 º£½ÇÊÓƵ Attractiveness Survey.

Despite a plunge in investment across the wider South West, Bristol was among the top º£½ÇÊÓƵ cities for FDI outside of London.

The city attracted 15 FDI projects in 2019, making it the seventh-best performing location in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ.

Elsewhere in the region, Swindon had three projects, Gloucester had two, while Bath, Cornwall, Falmouth, and Plymouth all had one project each.

The South West saw the largest proportion of its investment (33 per cent) come from the US, followed by France (27 per cent), with the region attracting five more French projects in 2019 compared to 2018.

Investment in the region was in the business services, digital, machinery and equipment, and transport manufacture sectors. The largest number of FDI projects was in the business services sector (seven) - up from four the year previously.

Foreign direct investment projects outside London

2019 Rank	Location	2019	2018
1	Manchester	34	37
2	Birmingham	30	22
3	Glasgow	23	19
=4	Belfast	22	20
=4	Edinburgh	22	20
6	Leeds	20	21
=7	Aberdeen	15	8
=7	Bristol	15	10
9	Reading	14	12
=10	Cambridge	10	10
=10	Cardiff	10	8
=12	Coventry	8	8
=12	Derby	8	8
=12	Liverpool	8	8
=15	Sheffiled	7	6
=15	Sunderland	7	3
=17	Milton Keynes	6	6
=17	Nottingham	6	4
=19	Crewe	5	1
=19	Rotherham	5	N/A

There were also four projects in the digital sector - the lowest number in the industry since 2013 - and three projects each in the machinery and equipment, and transport manufacture sectors.