European Union vs Japan: Foreign direct investment, net outflows
Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time
- European Union
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 4.9% against 1.2% in European Union, a difference of 3.7%.
That makes Japan's figure about 4.2 times European Union's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 55 shared years of data; in 1971 it was European Union ahead.
European Union ranks 11th and Japan ranks 8th of 47 groups.
Across the 6 decades both report, European Union averaged higher in 5 and Japan in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | European Union | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.2% | European Union |
| 1980s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.2% | European Union |
| 1990s | 2.3% | 0.6% | 1.7% | European Union |
| 2000s | 6.3% | 1.1% | 5.2% | European Union |
| 2010s | 4.7% | 2.9% | 1.8% | European Union |
| 2020s | 2.1% | 4.2% | 2.1% | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, European Union or Japan?
- Japan, at 4.9% against 1.2% in European Union as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between European Union and Japan?
- 3.7%, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for European Union and Japan?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2025.
- How do European Union and Japan rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- European Union ranks 11th and Japan ranks 8th 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.
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.