Panama vs South Africa: Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP
Panama
-1.0%
in 2025
South Africa
-0.9%
in 2025
Panama rank
180th
South Africa rank
179th
Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP over time
- Panama
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports -0.9% against -1.0% in Panama, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 12 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1977 it was South Africa ahead.
Panama ranks 180th and South Africa ranks 179th of 189 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Panama averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Panama | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% | South Africa |
| 1980s | 1.7% | 0.3% | 1.5% | Panama |
| 1990s | 0.6% | 0.9% | 0.3% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 1.3% | 0.1% | 1.2% | Panama |
| 2010s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.0% | Panama |
| 2020s | -0.7% | -0.3% | 0.4% | 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, Panama or South Africa?
- South Africa, at -0.9% against -1.0% in Panama as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp between Panama and South Africa?
- 0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Panama and South Africa?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1977 to 2025.
- How do Panama and South Africa rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp?
- Panama ranks 180th 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.