Lower middle income vs Malaysia: Foreign direct investment, net outflows
Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time
- Lower middle income
- Malaysia
How they compare
Lower middle income currently reports 39.97 billion BoP, current US$ against 13.04 billion BoP, current US$ in Malaysia, a difference of 26.94 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes Lower middle income's figure about 3.1 times Malaysia's.
The two have swapped places 12 times across 51 shared years of data; in 1974 it was Lower middle income ahead.
Lower middle income ranks 21st and Malaysia ranks 24th of 45 groups.
Across the 6 decades both report, Lower middle income averaged higher in 4 and Malaysia in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Lower middle income | Malaysia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 33.98 million BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 33.98 million BoP, current US$ | Lower middle income |
| 1980s | 224.81 million BoP, current US$ | 236.70 million BoP, current US$ | 11.89 million BoP, current US$ | Malaysia |
| 1990s | 961.53 million BoP, current US$ | 1.50 billion BoP, current US$ | 541.20 million BoP, current US$ | Malaysia |
| 2000s | 10.95 billion BoP, current US$ | 5.26 billion BoP, current US$ | 5.68 billion BoP, current US$ | Lower middle income |
| 2010s | 17.32 billion BoP, current US$ | 11.94 billion BoP, current US$ | 5.38 billion BoP, current US$ | Lower middle income |
| 2020s | 22.20 billion BoP, current US$ | 9.78 billion BoP, current US$ | 12.42 billion BoP, current US$ | Lower middle income |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, Lower middle income or Malaysia?
- Lower middle income, at 39.97 billion BoP, current US$ against 13.04 billion BoP, current US$ in Malaysia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between Lower middle income and Malaysia?
- 26.94 billion BoP, current US$, with Lower middle income ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Lower middle income and Malaysia?
- 51 years are reported by both, from 1974 to 2024.
- How do Lower middle income and Malaysia rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Lower middle income ranks 21st and Malaysia ranks 24th of 45 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). 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.