Netherlands vs South Africa: Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP
Netherlands
-0.5%
in 2024
South Africa
-0.9%
in 2025
Netherlands rank
176th
South Africa rank
179th
Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP over time
- Netherlands
- South Africa
How they compare
Netherlands currently reports -0.5% against -0.9% in South Africa, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 55 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Netherlands ahead.
Netherlands ranks 176th and South Africa ranks 179th of 189 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Netherlands averaged higher in 5 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Netherlands | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.8% | 0.2% | 2.7% | Netherlands |
| 1980s | 3.0% | 0.2% | 2.7% | Netherlands |
| 1990s | 5.8% | 0.8% | 5.0% | Netherlands |
| 2000s | 31.0% | 0.1% | 30.9% | Netherlands |
| 2010s | 24.9% | 1.1% | 23.8% | Netherlands |
| 2020s | -7.0% | -0.2% | 6.8% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp, Netherlands or South Africa?
- Netherlands, at -0.5% against -0.9% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp between Netherlands and South Africa?
- 0.4%, with Netherlands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and South Africa?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do Netherlands and South Africa rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp?
- Netherlands ranks 176th and South Africa ranks 179th 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.