Small states vs United Kingdom: Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$)
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) over time
- Small states
- United Kingdom
How they compare
Small states currently reports 12.49 billion BoP, current US$ against 9.43 billion BoP, current US$ in United Kingdom, a difference of 3.06 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes Small states's figure about 1.3 times United Kingdom's.
The two have swapped places 9 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was United Kingdom ahead.
Small states ranks 29th and United Kingdom ranks 28th of 47 groups.
Across the 6 decades both report, Small states averaged higher in 1 and United Kingdom in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Small states | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.37 million BoP, current US$ | 4.59 billion BoP, current US$ | 4.59 billion BoP, current US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 25.42 million BoP, current US$ | 17.63 billion BoP, current US$ | 17.60 billion BoP, current US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 157.40 million BoP, current US$ | 72.51 billion BoP, current US$ | 72.35 billion BoP, current US$ | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 18.23 billion BoP, current US$ | 168.19 billion BoP, current US$ | 149.97 billion BoP, current US$ | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 66.06 billion BoP, current US$ | 17.42 billion BoP, current US$ | 48.64 billion BoP, current US$ | Small states |
| 2020s | 5.68 billion BoP, current US$ | 43.41 billion BoP, current US$ | 37.73 billion BoP, current US$ | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, Small states or United Kingdom?
- Small states, at 12.49 billion BoP, current US$ against 9.43 billion BoP, current US$ in United Kingdom as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between Small states and United Kingdom?
- 3.06 billion BoP, current US$, with Small states ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Small states and United Kingdom?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Small states and United Kingdom rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Small states ranks 29th and United Kingdom ranks 28th of 47 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). 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.