Japan vs United States: Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$)
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) over time
- Japan
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 389.60 billion BoP, current US$ against 217.76 billion BoP, current US$ in Japan, a difference of 171.84 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes United States's figure about 1.8 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was United States ahead.
Japan ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st of 193 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.60 billion BoP, current US$ | 10.94 billion BoP, current US$ | 9.33 billion BoP, current US$ | United States |
| 1980s | 14.40 billion BoP, current US$ | 19.42 billion BoP, current US$ | 5.02 billion BoP, current US$ | United States |
| 1990s | 24.88 billion BoP, current US$ | 109.75 billion BoP, current US$ | 84.86 billion BoP, current US$ | United States |
| 2000s | 55.68 billion BoP, current US$ | 259.71 billion BoP, current US$ | 204.03 billion BoP, current US$ | United States |
| 2010s | 151.70 billion BoP, current US$ | 293.95 billion BoP, current US$ | 142.25 billion BoP, current US$ | United States |
| 2020s | 192.83 billion BoP, current US$ | 332.34 billion BoP, current US$ | 139.51 billion BoP, current US$ | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, Japan or United States?
- United States, at 389.60 billion BoP, current US$ against 217.76 billion BoP, current US$ in Japan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between Japan and United States?
- 171.84 billion BoP, current US$, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and United States?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Japan and United States rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Japan ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st of 193 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). 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.