European Union vs United States of America: Foreign direct investment, net outflows
Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time
- European Union
- United States of America
How they compare
United States of America currently reports 422.23 billion BoP, current US$ against 210.38 billion BoP, current US$ in European Union, a difference of 211.84 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes United States of America's figure about 2.0 times European Union's.
The two have swapped places 12 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was United States of America ahead.
European Union ranks 15th and United States of America ranks 1st of 47 groups.
Across the 6 decades both report, European Union averaged higher in 5 and United States of America in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | European Union | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.52 billion BoP, current US$ | 10.94 billion BoP, current US$ | 3.41 billion BoP, current US$ | United States of America |
| 1980s | 28.68 billion BoP, current US$ | 19.42 billion BoP, current US$ | 9.26 billion BoP, current US$ | European Union |
| 1990s | 173.08 billion BoP, current US$ | 109.75 billion BoP, current US$ | 63.33 billion BoP, current US$ | European Union |
| 2000s | 756.17 billion BoP, current US$ | 259.71 billion BoP, current US$ | 496.46 billion BoP, current US$ | European Union |
| 2010s | 699.65 billion BoP, current US$ | 293.95 billion BoP, current US$ | 405.70 billion BoP, current US$ | European Union |
| 2020s | 373.49 billion BoP, current US$ | 351.47 billion BoP, current US$ | 22.02 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, European Union or United States of America?
- United States of America, at 422.23 billion BoP, current US$ against 210.38 billion BoP, current US$ in European Union as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between European Union and United States of America?
- 211.84 billion BoP, current US$, with United States of America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for European Union and United States of America?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do European Union and United States of America rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- European Union ranks 15th and United States of America ranks 1st of 47 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). 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.