Foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of GDP in Africa

Africa: Foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of GDP was 3.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
3.4%
Change on year
up 77.3%
Rank
7th
of 37 groups
All-time high
3.4%
in 2024
All-time low
1.2%
in 2020
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of GDP in Africa, 2000–2024

01232000201220242000: 1.42001: 32002: 2.12003: 2.12004: 1.72005: 2.52006: 2.62007: 3.22008: 3.22009: 2.92010: 2.22011: 2.12012: 2.32013: 22014: 2.12015: 2.42016: 2.12017: 1.82018: 1.82019: 1.52020: 1.22021: 2.72022: 1.62023: 1.92024: 3.4

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Africa recorded 3.4% for foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of gdp in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of up 77.3% on the previous year and up 60.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of gdp in Africa peaked at 3.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 2020.

That places Africa 7th out of 37 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of GDP in Africa, year by year

Annual values for Foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of GDP (%) in Africa, 2000 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2000 1.4%
2001 3.0% +113.9%
2002 2.1% -32.6%
2003 2.1% +4.4%
2004 1.7% -22.1%
2005 2.5% +50.9%
2006 2.6% +4.1%
2007 3.2% +23.0%
2008 3.2% +0.3%
2009 2.9% -11.2%
2010 2.2% -22.3%
2011 2.1% -6.9%
2012 2.3% +9.7%
2013 2.0% -12.1%
2014 2.1% +4.7%
2015 2.4% +12.8%
2016 2.1% -13.1%
2017 1.8% -13.1%
2018 1.8% -1.3%
2019 1.5% -14.5%
2020 1.2% -17.6%
2021 2.7% +118.0%
2022 1.6% -39.7%
2023 1.9% +16.2%
2024 3.4% +77.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.5% 1.4% 3.2% 10
2010s 2.0% 1.5% 2.4% 10
2020s 2.2% 1.2% 3.4% 5

Countries ranked near Africa

  1. 4 Guyana 35.0% compare
  2. 5 Palau 28.9% compare
  3. 6 Singapore 27.8% compare
  4. 7 Mozambique 15.4% compare
  5. 8 Namibia 14.8% compare
  6. 9 Mauritania 13.2% compare
  7. 10 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 12.0% compare

See the full ranking of 249 places →

More economy & growth data for Africa

All data for Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of gdp in Africa?
Foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of gdp in Africa was 3.4% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of gdp recorded in Africa?
The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 2024.
What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of gdp recorded in Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 2020.
How does Africa rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of gdp?
Africa ranks 7th out of 37 groups with data for 2024.
Is foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of gdp rising or falling in Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 60.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Africa data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of GDP in Africa. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/foreign-direct-investment-net-inflows-as-a-proportion-of-gdp-percent/africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Foreign direct investment, net inflows, as a proportion of GDP (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
249 places, 6,020 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed