Euro area vs Ireland: Foreign direct investment, net outflows

Euro area
1.6%
in 2025
Ireland
11.0%
in 2024
Euro area rank
4th
Ireland rank
6th

Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time

  • Euro area
  • Ireland
-200204060197119982025

How they compare

Ireland currently reports 11.0% against 1.6% in Euro area, a difference of 9.4%.

That makes Ireland's figure about 6.8 times Euro area's.

The two have swapped places 13 times across 38 shared years of data; in 1987 it was Euro area ahead.

Euro area ranks 4th and Ireland ranks 6th of 47 groups.

Across the 5 decades both report, Euro area averaged higher in 2 and Ireland in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Euro area Ireland Difference Ahead
1980s 1.1% 2.1% 1.0% Ireland
1990s 2.3% 1.6% 0.6% Euro area
2000s 6.5% 15.6% 9.1% Ireland
2010s 5.1% 16.6% 11.5% Ireland
2020s 2.0% -1.6% 3.6% Euro area

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, Euro area or Ireland?
Ireland, at 11.0% against 1.6% in Euro area as of 2024.
What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between Euro area and Ireland?
9.4%, with Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Euro area and Ireland?
38 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2024.
How do Euro area and Ireland rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
Euro area ranks 4th and Ireland ranks 6th 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 (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Euro area vs Ireland: Foreign direct investment, net outflows. Statizoid, drawing on 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. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/foreign-direct-investment-net-outflows-percent-of-gdp/euro-area/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
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
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
238 places, 9,462 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

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.