China vs France: Foreign direct investment, net inflows
Foreign direct investment, net inflows over time
- China
- France
How they compare
China currently reports 79.98 billion BoP, current US$ against 73.03 billion BoP, current US$ in France, a difference of 6.95 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times France's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 47 shared years of data; in 1979 it was France ahead.
China ranks 5th and France ranks 8th of 201 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, China averaged higher in 4 and France in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | France | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 80,000 BoP, current US$ | 2.59 billion BoP, current US$ | 2.59 billion BoP, current US$ | France |
| 1980s | 1.51 billion BoP, current US$ | 4.12 billion BoP, current US$ | 2.62 billion BoP, current US$ | France |
| 1990s | 28.84 billion BoP, current US$ | 23.10 billion BoP, current US$ | 5.75 billion BoP, current US$ | China |
| 2000s | 95.53 billion BoP, current US$ | 55.53 billion BoP, current US$ | 39.99 billion BoP, current US$ | China |
| 2010s | 232.99 billion BoP, current US$ | 40.80 billion BoP, current US$ | 192.18 billion BoP, current US$ | China |
| 2020s | 160.22 billion BoP, current US$ | 62.13 billion BoP, current US$ | 98.09 billion BoP, current US$ | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net inflows, China or France?
- China, at 79.98 billion BoP, current US$ against 73.03 billion BoP, current US$ in France as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net inflows between China and France?
- 6.95 billion BoP, current US$, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and France?
- 47 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2025.
- How do China and France rank globally for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- China ranks 5th and France ranks 8th of 201 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$). 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.