Foreign direct investments and unequal regional development in Serbia

Abstract

Foreign direct investments are an important factor for economic growth in Serbia. Most of the foreign direct investment in the period 2001 to 2012 was in the Belgrade region and, to a lesser extent, in Vojvodina. This spatially concentrated distribution caused an increase in regional disparity in Serbia. The connection between foreign direct investment and regional disparities can in part be explained by the current stage of economic development. However, in the case of Serbia, one of the main reasons was the lack of a clearly defined policy to attract foreign direct investments, the collateral damage being the increase in regional disparities.