Japan vs United Arab Emirates: Foreign direct investment, net outflows

Japan
4.9%
in 2025
United Arab Emirates
14.0%
in 2024
Japan rank
8th
United Arab Emirates rank
5th

Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time

  • Japan
  • United Arab Emirates
051015197019972025

How they compare

United Arab Emirates currently reports 14.0% against 4.9% in Japan, a difference of 9.1%.

That makes United Arab Emirates's figure about 2.8 times Japan's.

The two have swapped places 9 times across 45 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Japan ahead.

Japan ranks 8th and United Arab Emirates ranks 5th of 191 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 3 and United Arab Emirates in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Japan United Arab Emirates Difference Ahead
1980s 0.6% 0.0% 0.6% Japan
1990s 0.6% 0.2% 0.4% Japan
2000s 1.1% 2.2% 1.1% United Arab Emirates
2010s 2.9% 2.7% 0.2% Japan
2020s 4.1% 6.7% 2.7% United Arab Emirates

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, Japan or United Arab Emirates?
United Arab Emirates, at 14.0% against 4.9% in Japan as of 2024.
What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between Japan and United Arab Emirates?
9.1%, with United Arab Emirates ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and United Arab Emirates?
45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
How do Japan and United Arab Emirates rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
Japan ranks 8th and United Arab Emirates 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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Japan vs United Arab Emirates: 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/japan/united-arab-emirates/

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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.