China vs European Union: Foreign direct investment, net outflows
Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time
- China
- European Union
How they compare
European Union currently reports 210.38 billion BoP, current US$ against 157.21 billion BoP, current US$ in China, a difference of 53.17 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes European Union's figure about 1.3 times China's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 44 shared years of data; in 1982 it was European Union ahead.
China ranks 3rd and European Union ranks 15th of 192 countries.
European Union has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | European Union | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 453.12 million BoP, current US$ | 31.92 billion BoP, current US$ | 31.47 billion BoP, current US$ | European Union |
| 1990s | 2.86 billion BoP, current US$ | 173.08 billion BoP, current US$ | 170.22 billion BoP, current US$ | European Union |
| 2000s | 19.25 billion BoP, current US$ | 756.17 billion BoP, current US$ | 736.92 billion BoP, current US$ | European Union |
| 2010s | 117.65 billion BoP, current US$ | 699.65 billion BoP, current US$ | 582.00 billion BoP, current US$ | European Union |
| 2020s | 186.27 billion BoP, current US$ | 373.49 billion BoP, current US$ | 187.21 billion BoP, current US$ | European Union |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, China or European Union?
- European Union, at 210.38 billion BoP, current US$ against 157.21 billion BoP, current US$ in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between China and European Union?
- 53.17 billion BoP, current US$, with European Union ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and European Union?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2025.
- How do China and European Union rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- China ranks 3rd and European Union ranks 15th of 192 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). 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 an 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. This series shows net outflows of investment from the reporting economy to the rest of the world. Data are in current U.S. dollars.