European Union vs Malaysia: Foreign direct investment, net outflows

European Union
1.2%
in 2025
Malaysia
3.1%
in 2024
European Union rank
11th
Malaysia rank
13th

Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time

  • European Union
  • Malaysia
02.557.510197119982025

How they compare

Malaysia currently reports 3.1% against 1.2% in European Union, a difference of 1.9%.

That makes Malaysia's figure about 2.6 times European Union's.

The two have swapped places 9 times across 51 shared years of data; in 1974 it was European Union ahead.

European Union ranks 11th and Malaysia ranks 13th of 47 groups.

Across the 6 decades both report, European Union averaged higher in 4 and Malaysia in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade European Union Malaysia Difference Ahead
1970s 0.5% 0.0% 0.5% European Union
1980s 0.8% 0.8% 0.0% Malaysia
1990s 2.3% 1.8% 0.5% European Union
2000s 6.3% 3.1% 3.3% European Union
2010s 4.7% 3.9% 0.8% European Union
2020s 2.3% 2.5% 0.1% Malaysia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, European Union or Malaysia?
Malaysia, at 3.1% against 1.2% in European Union as of 2024.
What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between European Union and Malaysia?
1.9%, with Malaysia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for European Union and Malaysia?
51 years are reported by both, from 1974 to 2024.
How do European Union and Malaysia rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
European Union ranks 11th and Malaysia ranks 13th 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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European Union vs Malaysia: 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 16 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/foreign-direct-investment-net-outflows-percent-of-gdp/european-union/malaysia/

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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.