China vs European Union: Foreign direct investment, net inflows
Foreign direct investment, net inflows over time
- China
- European Union
How they compare
China currently reports 79.98 billion BoP, current US$ against 74.05 billion BoP, current US$ in European Union, a difference of 5.93 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times European Union's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 47 shared years of data; in 1979 it was European Union ahead.
China ranks 5th and European Union ranks 24th of 202 countries.
European Union has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | European Union | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 80,000 BoP, current US$ | 10.67 billion BoP, current US$ | 10.67 billion BoP, current US$ | European Union |
| 1980s | 1.51 billion BoP, current US$ | 18.21 billion BoP, current US$ | 16.70 billion BoP, current US$ | European Union |
| 1990s | 28.84 billion BoP, current US$ | 132.41 billion BoP, current US$ | 103.57 billion BoP, current US$ | European Union |
| 2000s | 95.53 billion BoP, current US$ | 644.13 billion BoP, current US$ | 548.61 billion BoP, current US$ | European Union |
| 2010s | 232.99 billion BoP, current US$ | 593.48 billion BoP, current US$ | 360.49 billion BoP, current US$ | European Union |
| 2020s | 160.22 billion BoP, current US$ | 206.80 billion BoP, current US$ | 46.58 billion BoP, current US$ | European Union |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net inflows, China or European Union?
- China, at 79.98 billion BoP, current US$ against 74.05 billion BoP, current US$ in European Union as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net inflows between China and European Union?
- 5.93 billion BoP, current US$, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and European Union?
- 47 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2025.
- How do China and European Union rank globally for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- China ranks 5th and European Union ranks 24th of 202 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Foreign direct investment refers to direct investment equity flows in the reporting economy. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, and other capital. 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 ordinary shares of voting stock is the criterion for determining the existence of a direct investment relationship. Data are in current U.S. dollars.