Starting from the premise that the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the economies of the host countries is different from one economy to another, the aim is to evaluate the impact of a set of economic and social indicators on FDI and net income (% GDP-Gross Domestic Product) in emerging, ex-socialist countries of the European Union. Using econometric models, we analysed the relationship between the evolution of the net FDI inflows and a number of statistical indicators. Our findings proved that there are similarities between the countries analysed, in terms of the evolution of net FDI inflows, with some differences being recorded for Hungary, where the evolution of net FDI inflows has major fluctuations. We found that the countries present both similarities and differences in terms of variables that affect FDI. The FDI net inflows (% GDP) are in seven, out of nine economies, positively influenced by GDP, as it follows: Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovenia are FDI attractive by an increasing GDP rate, while Latvia, Poland and Romania react to a better GDP per capita. Hungary is the only one that is positively influenced by both GDP rate and GDP per capita. Moreover, a decreasing corruption perception index, country risk rating, income tax (% of commercial profit) and other taxes paid by companies (% commercial profit) can positively influence the inflows of FDIs in some of the analysed countries.

Given the importance of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the economy, the purpose of this study is to identify and investigate the economic indicators that can explain the development of FDI in the economies of Central and Eastern European countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Slovenia throughout the period 1995–2020. When developing multiple linear regression models, the following explanatory variables were considered: exports, imports, import concentration and diversification indices, the balance of trade, the balance of payments, and different components of the economic freedom index. Therefore, it was shown that a rise in exports and imports has a beneficial impact on enhancing the flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) in each of the nations examined for this study. Furthermore, an increase in the value of the import diversification index is shown to have a beneficial effect on the levels of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovenia, as determined by this study. On the other hand, the import concentration index has been shown to benefit foreign direct investment in Poland. Furthermore, it was discovered that the balance of payments was a positive factor in the Hungarian economy. In contrast, the trade balance was shown to be a positive element in Poland and Slovenia. Both indicators have positively impacted foreign direct investment (FDI) flow.