Sub-Saharan Africa vs United States: Foreign direct investment, net outflows
Foreign direct investment, net outflows over time
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 1.4% against 0.1% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 1.3%.
That makes United States's figure about 17.5 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 48 shared years of data; in 1977 it was United States ahead.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 43rd and United States ranks 40th of 47 groups.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sub-Saharan Africa | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.1% | 0.7% | 0.6% | United States |
| 1980s | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.3% | United States |
| 1990s | 0.4% | 1.4% | 0.9% | United States |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 2.0% | 1.8% | United States |
| 2010s | 0.5% | 1.7% | 1.2% | United States |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 1.3% | 1.2% | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, Sub-Saharan Africa or United States?
- United States, at 1.4% against 0.1% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between Sub-Saharan Africa and United States?
- 1.3%, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sub-Saharan Africa and United States?
- 48 years are reported by both, from 1977 to 2024.
- How do Sub-Saharan Africa and United States rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 43rd and United States ranks 40th 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.