Bulgaria vs Small states: Foreign direct investment, net outflows
Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time
- Bulgaria
- Small states
How they compare
Bulgaria currently reports 1.2% against -7.9% in Small states, a difference of 9.1%.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 38 shared years of data; in 1982 it was Bulgaria ahead.
Bulgaria ranks 50th and Small states ranks 47th of 191 countries.
Small states has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Bulgaria | Small states | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | Small states |
| 1990s | -0.0% | 0.5% | 0.5% | Small states |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 14.9% | 14.1% | Small states |
| 2010s | 1.0% | 36.6% | 35.6% | Small states |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 1.3% | 0.0% | Small states |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, Bulgaria or Small states?
- Bulgaria, at 1.2% against -7.9% in Small states as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between Bulgaria and Small states?
- 9.1%, with Bulgaria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Bulgaria and Small states?
- 38 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2024.
- How do Bulgaria and Small states rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Bulgaria ranks 50th and Small states ranks 47th 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 (% of GDP). 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, and is divided by GDP.