Ireland vs OECD members: Foreign direct investment, net outflows

Ireland
11.0%
in 2024
OECD members
1.6%
in 2025
Ireland rank
6th
OECD members rank
5th

Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time

  • Ireland
  • OECD members
-200204060197019972025

How they compare

Ireland currently reports 11.0% against 1.6% in OECD members, a difference of 9.4%.

That makes Ireland's figure about 6.8 times OECD members's.

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

Ireland ranks 6th and OECD members ranks 5th of 191 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 3 and OECD members in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ireland OECD members Difference Ahead
1980s 2.1% 1.2% 0.9% Ireland
1990s 1.6% 1.7% 0.1% OECD members
2000s 15.6% 3.6% 12.0% Ireland
2010s 16.6% 2.7% 14.0% Ireland
2020s -1.6% 1.9% 3.4% OECD members

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, Ireland or OECD members?
Ireland, at 11.0% against 1.6% in OECD members as of 2024.
What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between Ireland and OECD members?
9.4%, with Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and OECD members?
38 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2024.
How do Ireland and OECD members rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
Ireland ranks 6th and OECD members ranks 5th 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.

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Ireland vs OECD members: 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 12 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/foreign-direct-investment-net-outflows-percent-of-gdp/ireland/oecd-members/

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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.