Foreign direct investment, net (BoP, current US$) in Australia
Australia: Foreign direct investment, net (BoP, current US$) was -44.19 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net in Australia, 1989–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net in Australia stood at -44.19 billion BoP, current US$.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.3% on the previous year and down 14.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net in Australia peaked at 58.64 billion BoP, current US$ in 2022 and was at its lowest, -59.65 billion BoP, current US$, in 2018.
That places Australia 195th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net (BoP, current US$) in Australia, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | -5.00 billion BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1990 | -7.82 billion BoP, current US$ | +56.5% |
| 1991 | -3.78 billion BoP, current US$ | -51.7% |
| 1992 | -1.11 billion BoP, current US$ | -70.7% |
| 1993 | -2.77 billion BoP, current US$ | +150.1% |
| 1994 | -2.63 billion BoP, current US$ | -5.0% |
| 1995 | -9.22 billion BoP, current US$ | +250.6% |
| 1996 | 441.65 million BoP, current US$ | -104.8% |
| 1997 | -2.01 billion BoP, current US$ | -554.5% |
| 1998 | -2.93 billion BoP, current US$ | +46.1% |
| 1999 | -1.90 billion BoP, current US$ | -35.3% |
| 2000 | -10.80 billion BoP, current US$ | +468.8% |
| 2001 | 2.66 billion BoP, current US$ | -124.7% |
| 2002 | -7.68 billion BoP, current US$ | -388.5% |
| 2003 | 9.61 billion BoP, current US$ | -225.1% |
| 2004 | -33.12 billion BoP, current US$ | -444.6% |
| 2005 | -7.62 billion BoP, current US$ | -77.0% |
| 2006 | -6.47 billion BoP, current US$ | -15.1% |
| 2007 | -30.02 billion BoP, current US$ | +364.0% |
| 2008 | -13.28 billion BoP, current US$ | -55.8% |
| 2009 | -17.47 billion BoP, current US$ | +31.5% |
| 2010 | -17.49 billion BoP, current US$ | +0.1% |
| 2011 | -57.33 billion BoP, current US$ | +227.8% |
| 2012 | -51.81 billion BoP, current US$ | -9.6% |
| 2013 | -55.24 billion BoP, current US$ | +6.6% |
| 2014 | -40.64 billion BoP, current US$ | -26.4% |
| 2015 | -38.63 billion BoP, current US$ | -4.9% |
| 2016 | -46.08 billion BoP, current US$ | +19.3% |
| 2017 | -38.19 billion BoP, current US$ | -17.1% |
| 2018 | -59.65 billion BoP, current US$ | +56.2% |
| 2019 | -29.85 billion BoP, current US$ | -50.0% |
| 2020 | -10.58 billion BoP, current US$ | -64.6% |
| 2021 | -22.20 billion BoP, current US$ | +109.9% |
| 2022 | 58.64 billion BoP, current US$ | -364.1% |
| 2023 | -22.01 billion BoP, current US$ | -137.5% |
| 2024 | -40.08 billion BoP, current US$ | +82.1% |
| 2025 | -44.19 billion BoP, current US$ | +10.3% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's -44.19 billion BoP, current US$ is below the median for high income countries, which is -143.28 million BoP, current US$, 308.4× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Australia's -44.19 billion BoP, current US$ is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is -167.63 million BoP, current US$, 263.6× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | -5.00 billion BoP, current US$ | -5.00 billion BoP, current US$ | -5.00 billion BoP, current US$ | 1 |
| 1990s | -3.37 billion BoP, current US$ | -9.22 billion BoP, current US$ | 441.65 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | -11.42 billion BoP, current US$ | -33.12 billion BoP, current US$ | 9.61 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | -43.49 billion BoP, current US$ | -59.65 billion BoP, current US$ | -17.49 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | -13.40 billion BoP, current US$ | -44.19 billion BoP, current US$ | 58.64 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More economy & growth data for Australia
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 96.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- 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)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 15.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0083 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 537.43 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 10.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 392.43 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 2.82 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net in Australia?
- Foreign direct investment, net in Australia was -44.19 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 58.64 billion BoP, current US$ in 2022.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was -59.65 billion BoP, current US$ in 2018.
- How does Australia rank for foreign direct investment, net?
- Australia ranks 195th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Foreign direct investment, net (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 37 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Foreign 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 voting power is evidence of a direct investment relationship. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.