Ireland vs Spain: Foreign direct investment, net outflows
Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time
- Ireland
- Spain
How they compare
Ireland currently reports 67.14 billion BoP, current US$ against 46.38 billion BoP, current US$ in Spain, a difference of 20.76 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes Ireland's figure about 1.4 times Spain's.
The two have swapped places 12 times across 38 shared years of data; in 1987 it was Spain ahead.
Ireland ranks 11th and Spain ranks 14th of 191 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 1 and Spain in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 790.54 million BoP, current US$ | 1.15 billion BoP, current US$ | 360.60 million BoP, current US$ | Spain |
| 1990s | 1.38 billion BoP, current US$ | 11.22 billion BoP, current US$ | 9.85 billion BoP, current US$ | Spain |
| 2000s | 34.67 billion BoP, current US$ | 60.77 billion BoP, current US$ | 26.10 billion BoP, current US$ | Spain |
| 2010s | 45.88 billion BoP, current US$ | 41.14 billion BoP, current US$ | 4.74 billion BoP, current US$ | Ireland |
| 2020s | -4.78 billion BoP, current US$ | 59.67 billion BoP, current US$ | 64.44 billion BoP, current US$ | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, Ireland or Spain?
- Ireland, at 67.14 billion BoP, current US$ against 46.38 billion BoP, current US$ in Spain as of 2024.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between Ireland and Spain?
- 20.76 billion BoP, current US$, with Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Spain?
- 38 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2024.
- How do Ireland and Spain rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Ireland ranks 11th and Spain ranks 14th of 191 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). 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.