Infrastructure Monitor 2023 : Global trends in private investment in infrastructure

In 2022, after eight years of stagnation, private investment in infrastructure experienced a significant resurgence. Primary markets saw a substantial increase in transactions and overall value, marking a 29% rise in transactions and a 41% increase in value compared to the five-year average (2017–2021). This significant increase was the result of a post-COVID-19 recovery back to 2015–2019 levels (as a % of GDP), stronger growth in energy transmission and digital infrastructure, and a set of large airport transactions that pushed the level above their pre-pandemic averages. Renewables, especially solar energy, remained strong, with a clear shift toward cleaner energy across income groups. The secondary market also performed strongly due to growth in acquisitions. However, a single year of data is insufficient evidence to indicate a lasting shift in the trend. It should be noted that – compared with previous years’ reports – the analyses draw on a bespoke new dataset developed in partnership with Realfin which has a more comprehensive coverage of transactions, particularly in developing markets. This new dataset almost doubles the value and number of transactions from previous GI Hub Infrastructure Monitor reports. Other datasets accessible to the GI Hub also show strong – albeit lower – growth.