Saudi Arabia vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP
Saudi Arabia
2.1%
in 2025
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2.2%
in 2025
Saudi Arabia rank
28th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
25th
Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP over time
- Saudi Arabia
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 2.2% against 2.1% in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 10 times across 55 shared years of data; in 1971 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 28th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 25th of 189 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | 1.9% | 1.9% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1980s | 0.3% | 2.6% | 2.3% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1990s | 0.0% | 4.9% | 4.9% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2000s | 0.3% | 7.2% | 6.9% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2010s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 0.3% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 1.7% | 0.1% | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp, Saudi Arabia or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 2.2% against 2.1% in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp between Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 0.1%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2025.
- How do Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 28th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 25th 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.