China vs United States: Foreign direct investment, net outflows
Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 422.23 billion BoP, current US$ against 157.21 billion BoP, current US$ in China, a difference of 265.02 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes United States's figure about 2.7 times China's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 44 shared years of data; in 1982 it was United States ahead.
China ranks 3rd and United States ranks 1st of 191 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 453.12 million BoP, current US$ | 20.63 billion BoP, current US$ | 20.18 billion BoP, current US$ | United States |
| 1990s | 2.86 billion BoP, current US$ | 109.75 billion BoP, current US$ | 106.89 billion BoP, current US$ | United States |
| 2000s | 19.25 billion BoP, current US$ | 259.71 billion BoP, current US$ | 240.46 billion BoP, current US$ | United States |
| 2010s | 117.65 billion BoP, current US$ | 293.95 billion BoP, current US$ | 176.30 billion BoP, current US$ | United States |
| 2020s | 186.27 billion BoP, current US$ | 351.47 billion BoP, current US$ | 165.19 billion BoP, current US$ | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, China or United States?
- United States, at 422.23 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 United States?
- 265.02 billion BoP, current US$, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2025.
- How do China and United States rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- China ranks 3rd and United States ranks 1st of 191 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). 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.