China vs Japan: Foreign direct investment, net
Foreign direct investment, net over time
- China
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 171.95 billion BoP, current US$ against 77.23 billion BoP, current US$ in China, a difference of 94.72 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes Japan's figure about 2.2 times China's.
Across all 30 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
China ranks 3rd and Japan ranks 2nd of 196 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -39.46 billion BoP, current US$ | 18.68 billion BoP, current US$ | 58.14 billion BoP, current US$ | Japan |
| 2000s | -76.28 billion BoP, current US$ | 45.18 billion BoP, current US$ | 121.46 billion BoP, current US$ | Japan |
| 2010s | -115.34 billion BoP, current US$ | 134.92 billion BoP, current US$ | 250.26 billion BoP, current US$ | Japan |
| 2020s | 26.05 billion BoP, current US$ | 154.42 billion BoP, current US$ | 128.37 billion BoP, current US$ | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net, China or Japan?
- Japan, at 171.95 billion BoP, current US$ against 77.23 billion BoP, current US$ in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net between China and Japan?
- 94.72 billion BoP, current US$, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
- 30 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2025.
- How do China and Japan rank globally for foreign direct investment, net?
- China ranks 3rd and Japan ranks 2nd of 196 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as Foreign direct investment, net (BoP, current US$). 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.