Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in Australia
Australia: Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows was 53,454 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in Australia, 1990–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
Australia recorded 53,454 for foreign direct investment (fdi) inflows in 2024.
That represents a change of up 74.8% on the previous year and down 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment (fdi) inflows in Australia peaked at 67,569 in 2018 and was at its lowest, -28,295, in 2005.
That places Australia 10th out of 222 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 7,904 | — |
| 1991 | 4,055 | -48.7% |
| 1992 | 5,479 | +35.1% |
| 1993 | 4,055 | -26.0% |
| 1994 | 4,763 | +17.5% |
| 1995 | 11,679 | +145.2% |
| 1996 | 5,630 | -51.8% |
| 1997 | 7,762 | +37.9% |
| 1998 | 5,529 | -28.8% |
| 1999 | 1,847 | -66.6% |
| 2000 | 14,191 | +668.3% |
| 2001 | 7,825 | -44.9% |
| 2002 | 14,246 | +82.1% |
| 2003 | 6,339 | -55.5% |
| 2004 | 39,612 | +524.9% |
| 2005 | -28,295 | -171.4% |
| 2006 | 26,314 | -193.0% |
| 2007 | 41,480 | +57.6% |
| 2008 | 46,906 | +13.1% |
| 2009 | 31,893 | -32.0% |
| 2010 | 36,796 | +15.4% |
| 2011 | 58,932 | +60.2% |
| 2012 | 59,574 | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 56,766 | -4.7% |
| 2014 | 58,507 | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 29,580 | -49.4% |
| 2016 | 48,402 | +63.6% |
| 2017 | 46,116 | -4.7% |
| 2018 | 67,569 | +46.5% |
| 2019 | 38,536 | -43.0% |
| 2020 | 16,420 | -57.4% |
| 2021 | 27,021 | +64.6% |
| 2022 | 65,943 | +144.0% |
| 2023 | 30,577 | -53.6% |
| 2024 | 53,454 | +74.8% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 53,454 is above the median for high income countries, which is 3,309, 16.2× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Australia's 53,454 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 857.11, 62.4× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in Australia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +668.3% | 1,847 | 14,191 |
| 2004 | +524.9% | 6,339 | 39,612 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5,870 | 1,847 | 11,679 | 10 |
| 2000s | 20,051 | -28,295 | 46,906 | 10 |
| 2010s | 50,078 | 29,580 | 67,569 | 10 |
| 2020s | 38,683 | 16,420 | 65,943 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 7 Brazil 59,178 compare
- 8 Australia and New Zealand 55,105 compare
- 9 British Virgin Islands 53,599 compare
- 11 Egypt 46,578 compare
- 12 United Arab Emirates 45,632 compare
- 13 Mexico 36,872 compare
More economy & growth data for Australia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.36 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.26 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps -4.55 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0025 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -164.69 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 36.52 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -32.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0203 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1,323 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 20.24 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment (fdi) inflows in Australia?
- Foreign direct investment (fdi) inflows in Australia was 53,454 in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment (fdi) inflows recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 67,569 in 2018.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment (fdi) inflows recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was -28,295 in 2005.
- How does Australia rank for foreign direct investment (fdi) inflows?
- Australia ranks 10th out of 222 countries with data for 2024.
- Is foreign direct investment (fdi) inflows rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows (millions of United States dollars). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).