China vs World: Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$)
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) over time
- China
- World
How they compare
World currently reports 2.08 trillion BoP, current US$ against 157.21 billion BoP, current US$ in China, a difference of 1.93 trillion BoP, current US$.
That makes World's figure about 13.3 times China's.
Across all 44 years both countries report, World has been ahead every year.
China ranks 3rd and World ranks 1st of 193 countries.
World has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | World | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 453.12 million BoP, current US$ | 108.04 billion BoP, current US$ | 107.58 billion BoP, current US$ | World |
| 1990s | 2.86 billion BoP, current US$ | 464.64 billion BoP, current US$ | 461.78 billion BoP, current US$ | World |
| 2000s | 19.25 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.57 trillion BoP, current US$ | 1.55 trillion BoP, current US$ | World |
| 2010s | 117.65 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.87 trillion BoP, current US$ | 1.75 trillion BoP, current US$ | World |
| 2020s | 186.27 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.75 trillion BoP, current US$ | 1.56 trillion BoP, current US$ | World |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, China or World?
- World, at 2.08 trillion 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 World?
- 1.93 trillion BoP, current US$, with World ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and World?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2025.
- How do China and World rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- China ranks 3rd and World ranks 1st of 193 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). 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.