Malaysia vs Thailand: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$)
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) over time
- Malaysia
- Thailand
How they compare
Malaysia currently reports 21.62 billion BoP, current US$ against 18.53 billion BoP, current US$ in Thailand, a difference of 3.09 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes Malaysia's figure about 1.2 times Thailand's.
The two have swapped places 14 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Malaysia ahead.
Malaysia ranks 23rd and Thailand ranks 25th of 204 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 5 and Thailand in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | Thailand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 326.19 million BoP, current US$ | 79.82 million BoP, current US$ | 246.38 million BoP, current US$ | Malaysia |
| 1980s | 964.74 million BoP, current US$ | 508.04 million BoP, current US$ | 456.70 million BoP, current US$ | Malaysia |
| 1990s | 4.13 billion BoP, current US$ | 3.15 billion BoP, current US$ | 985.65 million BoP, current US$ | Malaysia |
| 2000s | 4.35 billion BoP, current US$ | 6.36 billion BoP, current US$ | 2.01 billion BoP, current US$ | Thailand |
| 2010s | 10.70 billion BoP, current US$ | 9.10 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.60 billion BoP, current US$ | Malaysia |
| 2020s | 14.72 billion BoP, current US$ | 11.02 billion BoP, current US$ | 3.70 billion BoP, current US$ | Malaysia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net inflows, Malaysia or Thailand?
- Malaysia, at 21.62 billion BoP, current US$ against 18.53 billion BoP, current US$ in Thailand as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net inflows between Malaysia and Thailand?
- 3.09 billion BoP, current US$, with Malaysia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and Thailand?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Malaysia and Thailand rank globally for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Malaysia ranks 23rd and Thailand ranks 25th of 204 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$). 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.