China vs North America: Foreign direct investment, net inflows
Foreign direct investment, net inflows over time
- China
- North America
How they compare
North America currently reports 469.55 billion BoP, current US$ against 79.98 billion BoP, current US$ in China, a difference of 389.57 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes North America's figure about 5.9 times China's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 47 shared years of data; in 1979 it was North America ahead.
China ranks 5th and North America ranks 5th of 201 countries.
North America has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | North America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 80,000 BoP, current US$ | 13.36 billion BoP, current US$ | 13.36 billion BoP, current US$ | North America |
| 1980s | 1.51 billion BoP, current US$ | 38.07 billion BoP, current US$ | 36.56 billion BoP, current US$ | North America |
| 1990s | 28.84 billion BoP, current US$ | 117.77 billion BoP, current US$ | 88.93 billion BoP, current US$ | North America |
| 2000s | 95.53 billion BoP, current US$ | 268.57 billion BoP, current US$ | 173.04 billion BoP, current US$ | North America |
| 2010s | 232.99 billion BoP, current US$ | 367.46 billion BoP, current US$ | 134.47 billion BoP, current US$ | North America |
| 2020s | 160.22 billion BoP, current US$ | 401.38 billion BoP, current US$ | 241.16 billion BoP, current US$ | North America |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net inflows, China or North America?
- North America, at 469.55 billion BoP, current US$ against 79.98 billion BoP, current US$ in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net inflows between China and North America?
- 389.57 billion BoP, current US$, with North America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and North America?
- 47 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2025.
- How do China and North America rank globally for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- China ranks 5th and North America ranks 5th of 201 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$). 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.