Malaysia vs South Asia: Foreign direct investment, net outflows
Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time
- Malaysia
- South Asia
How they compare
Malaysia currently reports 3.1% against 0.8% in South Asia, a difference of 2.3%.
That makes Malaysia's figure about 3.8 times South Asia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 50 shared years of data; in 1975 it was South Asia ahead.
Malaysia ranks 13th and South Asia ranks 16th of 191 countries.
Malaysia has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | South Asia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 1980s | 0.8% | 0.0% | 0.8% | Malaysia |
| 1990s | 1.8% | 0.0% | 1.8% | Malaysia |
| 2000s | 3.1% | 0.6% | 2.4% | Malaysia |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 0.4% | 3.4% | Malaysia |
| 2020s | 2.5% | 0.4% | 2.0% | Malaysia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, Malaysia or South Asia?
- Malaysia, at 3.1% against 0.8% in South Asia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between Malaysia and South Asia?
- 2.3%, with Malaysia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and South Asia?
- 50 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2024.
- How do Malaysia and South Asia rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Malaysia ranks 13th and South Asia ranks 16th 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.
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.