Ireland vs Singapore: Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP
Ireland
11.0%
in 2024
Singapore
15.6%
in 2025
Ireland rank
6th
Singapore rank
4th
Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP over time
- Ireland
- Singapore
How they compare
Singapore currently reports 15.6% against 11.0% in Ireland, a difference of 4.6%.
That makes Singapore's figure about 1.4 times Ireland's.
The two have swapped places 16 times across 38 shared years of data; in 1987 it was Singapore ahead.
Ireland ranks 6th and Singapore ranks 4th of 189 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 3 and Singapore in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | Singapore | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.6% | Ireland |
| 1990s | 1.6% | 6.4% | 4.7% | Singapore |
| 2000s | 15.6% | 11.4% | 4.2% | Ireland |
| 2010s | 16.6% | 13.5% | 3.1% | Ireland |
| 2020s | -1.6% | 12.6% | 14.2% | Singapore |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp, Ireland or Singapore?
- Singapore, at 15.6% against 11.0% in Ireland as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp between Ireland and Singapore?
- 4.6%, with Singapore ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Singapore?
- 38 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2024.
- How do Ireland and Singapore rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp?
- Ireland ranks 6th and Singapore ranks 4th of 189 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund (Balance of Payments), UNCTAD, and national sources, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Net outflows of foreign direct investment from the reporting economy to the rest of the world.