Germany vs United Kingdom: Foreign direct investment, net outflows
Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time
- Germany
- United Kingdom
How they compare
Germany currently reports 108.13 billion BoP, current US$ against 86.93 billion BoP, current US$ in United Kingdom, a difference of 21.20 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes Germany's figure about 1.2 times United Kingdom's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 55 shared years of data; in 1971 it was United Kingdom ahead.
Germany ranks 5th and United Kingdom ranks 7th of 191 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Germany | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.58 billion BoP, current US$ | 4.91 billion BoP, current US$ | 2.33 billion BoP, current US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 6.68 billion BoP, current US$ | 17.63 billion BoP, current US$ | 10.95 billion BoP, current US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 46.15 billion BoP, current US$ | 72.51 billion BoP, current US$ | 26.36 billion BoP, current US$ | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 80.93 billion BoP, current US$ | 168.19 billion BoP, current US$ | 87.26 billion BoP, current US$ | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 132.15 billion BoP, current US$ | 17.42 billion BoP, current US$ | 114.72 billion BoP, current US$ | Germany |
| 2020s | 138.53 billion BoP, current US$ | 56.33 billion BoP, current US$ | 82.20 billion BoP, current US$ | Germany |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, Germany or United Kingdom?
- Germany, at 108.13 billion BoP, current US$ against 86.93 billion BoP, current US$ in United Kingdom as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between Germany and United Kingdom?
- 21.20 billion BoP, current US$, with Germany ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and United Kingdom?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2025.
- How do Germany and United Kingdom rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Germany ranks 5th and United Kingdom ranks 7th of 191 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). 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.