South Korea vs Thailand: Foreign direct investment, net inflows
Foreign direct investment, net inflows over time
- South Korea
- Thailand
How they compare
Thailand currently reports 18.84 billion BoP, current US$ against 15.80 billion BoP, current US$ in South Korea, a difference of 3.04 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes Thailand's figure about 1.2 times South Korea's.
The two have swapped places 19 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was South Korea ahead.
South Korea ranks 27th and Thailand ranks 25th of 201 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 5 and Thailand in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Thailand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 105.20 million BoP, current US$ | 79.82 million BoP, current US$ | 25.38 million BoP, current US$ | South Korea |
| 1980s | 528.98 million BoP, current US$ | 508.04 million BoP, current US$ | 20.94 million BoP, current US$ | South Korea |
| 1990s | 3.08 billion BoP, current US$ | 3.15 billion BoP, current US$ | 69.95 million BoP, current US$ | Thailand |
| 2000s | 9.57 billion BoP, current US$ | 6.36 billion BoP, current US$ | 3.20 billion BoP, current US$ | South Korea |
| 2010s | 10.67 billion BoP, current US$ | 9.10 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.57 billion BoP, current US$ | South Korea |
| 2020s | 17.26 billion BoP, current US$ | 11.07 billion BoP, current US$ | 6.19 billion BoP, current US$ | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net inflows, South Korea or Thailand?
- Thailand, at 18.84 billion BoP, current US$ against 15.80 billion BoP, current US$ in South Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net inflows between South Korea and Thailand?
- 3.04 billion BoP, current US$, with Thailand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Thailand?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do South Korea and Thailand rank globally for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- South Korea ranks 27th and Thailand ranks 25th of 201 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$). 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.