Malta vs Spain: Foreign direct investment, net outflows
Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time
- Malta
- Spain
How they compare
Spain currently reports 46.38 billion BoP, current US$ against 36.46 billion BoP, current US$ in Malta, a difference of 9.92 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes Spain's figure about 1.3 times Malta's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 54 shared years of data; in 1971 it was Spain ahead.
Malta ranks 16th and Spain ranks 14th of 191 countries.
Spain has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malta | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 BoP, current US$ | 101.30 million BoP, current US$ | 101.30 million BoP, current US$ | Spain |
| 1980s | 0 BoP, current US$ | 566.58 million BoP, current US$ | 566.58 million BoP, current US$ | Spain |
| 1990s | 41.75 million BoP, current US$ | 11.22 billion BoP, current US$ | 11.18 billion BoP, current US$ | Spain |
| 2000s | 5.66 billion BoP, current US$ | 60.77 billion BoP, current US$ | 55.12 billion BoP, current US$ | Spain |
| 2010s | 9.65 billion BoP, current US$ | 41.14 billion BoP, current US$ | 31.49 billion BoP, current US$ | Spain |
| 2020s | 39.75 billion BoP, current US$ | 59.67 billion BoP, current US$ | 19.92 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, Malta or Spain?
- Spain, at 46.38 billion BoP, current US$ against 36.46 billion BoP, current US$ in Malta as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between Malta and Spain?
- 9.92 billion BoP, current US$, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malta and Spain?
- 54 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2024.
- How do Malta and Spain rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Malta ranks 16th and Spain ranks 14th of 191 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). 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.