Saudi Arabia vs South Asia: Foreign direct investment, net outflows
Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time
- Saudi Arabia
- South Asia
How they compare
South Asia currently reports 35.70 billion BoP, current US$ against 27.03 billion BoP, current US$ in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 8.67 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes South Asia's figure about 1.3 times Saudi Arabia's.
The two have swapped places 18 times across 51 shared years of data; in 1975 it was South Asia ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 20th and South Asia ranks 24th of 192 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 2 and South Asia in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | South Asia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1980s | 296.65 million BoP, current US$ | 5.14 million BoP, current US$ | 291.51 million BoP, current US$ | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990s | 76.81 million BoP, current US$ | 79.67 million BoP, current US$ | 2.86 million BoP, current US$ | South Asia |
| 2000s | 931.90 million BoP, current US$ | 7.57 billion BoP, current US$ | 6.64 billion BoP, current US$ | South Asia |
| 2010s | 7.87 billion BoP, current US$ | 10.11 billion BoP, current US$ | 2.24 billion BoP, current US$ | South Asia |
| 2020s | 21.43 billion BoP, current US$ | 19.52 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.92 billion BoP, current US$ | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, Saudi Arabia or South Asia?
- South Asia, at 35.70 billion BoP, current US$ against 27.03 billion BoP, current US$ in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between Saudi Arabia and South Asia?
- 8.67 billion BoP, current US$, with South Asia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and South Asia?
- 51 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2025.
- How do Saudi Arabia and South Asia rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 20th and South Asia ranks 24th of 192 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). 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.