Iceland vs South Africa: Foreign direct investment, net outflows
Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time
- Iceland
- South Africa
How they compare
Iceland currently reports -851.71 million BoP, current US$ against -4.01 billion BoP, current US$ in South Africa, a difference of 3.16 billion BoP, current US$.
The two have swapped places 15 times across 50 shared years of data; in 1976 it was South Africa ahead.
Iceland ranks 184th and South Africa ranks 187th of 192 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 BoP, current US$ | 87.20 million BoP, current US$ | 87.20 million BoP, current US$ | South Africa |
| 1980s | 1.21 million BoP, current US$ | 220.04 million BoP, current US$ | 218.83 million BoP, current US$ | South Africa |
| 1990s | 39.02 million BoP, current US$ | 1.28 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.24 billion BoP, current US$ | South Africa |
| 2000s | 2.53 billion BoP, current US$ | 723.02 million BoP, current US$ | 1.81 billion BoP, current US$ | Iceland |
| 2010s | -1.37 billion BoP, current US$ | 4.14 billion BoP, current US$ | 5.51 billion BoP, current US$ | South Africa |
| 2020s | -67.31 million BoP, current US$ | -1.25 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.19 billion BoP, current US$ | Iceland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, Iceland or South Africa?
- Iceland, at -851.71 million BoP, current US$ against -4.01 billion BoP, current US$ in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between Iceland and South Africa?
- 3.16 billion BoP, current US$, with Iceland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and South Africa?
- 50 years are reported by both, from 1976 to 2025.
- How do Iceland and South Africa rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Iceland ranks 184th and South Africa ranks 187th of 192 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). 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.