Malaysia vs South Asia: Foreign direct investment, net outflows
Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time
- Malaysia
- South Asia
How they compare
South Asia currently reports 35.70 billion BoP, current US$ against 13.04 billion BoP, current US$ in Malaysia, a difference of 22.66 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes South Asia's figure about 2.7 times Malaysia's.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 50 shared years of data; in 1975 it was South Asia ahead.
Malaysia ranks 24th and South Asia ranks 24th of 192 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 3 and South Asia in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | South Asia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1980s | 236.70 million BoP, current US$ | 5.14 million BoP, current US$ | 231.56 million BoP, current US$ | Malaysia |
| 1990s | 1.50 billion BoP, current US$ | 79.67 million BoP, current US$ | 1.42 billion BoP, current US$ | Malaysia |
| 2000s | 5.26 billion BoP, current US$ | 7.57 billion BoP, current US$ | 2.31 billion BoP, current US$ | South Asia |
| 2010s | 11.94 billion BoP, current US$ | 10.11 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.83 billion BoP, current US$ | Malaysia |
| 2020s | 9.78 billion BoP, current US$ | 16.28 billion BoP, current US$ | 6.50 billion BoP, current US$ | South Asia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, Malaysia or South Asia?
- South Asia, at 35.70 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 Malaysia and South Asia?
- 22.66 billion BoP, current US$, with South Asia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and South Asia?
- 50 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2024.
- How do Malaysia and South Asia rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Malaysia ranks 24th and South Asia ranks 24th of 192 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). 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.