China vs Ireland: Foreign direct investment, net
Foreign direct investment, net over time
- China
- Ireland
How they compare
China currently reports 77.23 billion BoP, current US$ against 62.33 billion BoP, current US$ in Ireland, a difference of 14.90 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes China's figure about 1.2 times Ireland's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 20 shared years of data; in 2005 it was Ireland ahead.
China ranks 3rd and Ireland ranks 4th of 196 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and Ireland in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | -106.32 billion BoP, current US$ | 19.42 billion BoP, current US$ | 125.74 billion BoP, current US$ | Ireland |
| 2010s | -115.34 billion BoP, current US$ | -32.69 billion BoP, current US$ | 82.65 billion BoP, current US$ | Ireland |
| 2020s | 15.82 billion BoP, current US$ | 6.77 billion BoP, current US$ | 9.05 billion BoP, current US$ | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net, China or Ireland?
- China, at 77.23 billion BoP, current US$ against 62.33 billion BoP, current US$ in Ireland as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net between China and Ireland?
- 14.90 billion BoP, current US$, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Ireland?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2024.
- How do China and Ireland rank globally for foreign direct investment, net?
- China ranks 3rd and Ireland ranks 4th of 196 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as Foreign direct investment, net (BoP, current US$). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Foreign direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the voting power is evidence of a direct investment relationship. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.