Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Australia
Australia: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP was 2.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
2.0%
Change on year
down 33.6%
World rank
103rd
of 198 countries
All-time high
7.0%
in 2004
All-time low
-3.6%
in 2005
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Australia, 1970–2025
Source: IMF International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments; World Bank International Debt Statistics and GDP estimates; and OECD GDP estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Australia stood at 2.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 33.6% on the previous year and down 41.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Australia peaked at 7.0% in 2004 and was at its lowest, -3.6%, in 2005.
That places Australia 103rd out of 198 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Australia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.2% | — |
| 1971 | 2.6% | +18.2% |
| 1972 | 2.0% | -20.7% |
| 1973 | 0.2% | -89.6% |
| 1974 | 1.5% | +605.5% |
| 1975 | 0.5% | -69.1% |
| 1976 | 1.0% | +116.0% |
| 1977 | 1.0% | +3.7% |
| 1978 | 1.4% | +36.9% |
| 1979 | 1.1% | -22.0% |
| 1980 | 1.2% | +12.7% |
| 1981 | 1.3% | +6.6% |
| 1982 | 1.2% | -11.2% |
| 1983 | 1.7% | +43.2% |
| 1984 | 0.2% | -86.9% |
| 1985 | 1.2% | +425.0% |
| 1986 | 2.9% | +153.3% |
| 1987 | 2.7% | -6.9% |
| 1988 | 3.6% | +31.0% |
| 1989 | 2.7% | -25.5% |
| 1990 | 2.7% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 0.8% | -70.5% |
| 1992 | 1.5% | +89.4% |
| 1993 | 1.7% | +12.1% |
| 1994 | 1.4% | -18.9% |
| 1995 | 3.6% | +160.9% |
| 1996 | 1.1% | -68.4% |
| 1997 | 1.9% | +63.3% |
| 1998 | 1.9% | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 0.6% | -70.2% |
| 2000 | 3.6% | +530.7% |
| 2001 | 2.8% | -21.1% |
| 2002 | 3.7% | +31.2% |
| 2003 | 1.9% | -48.1% |
| 2004 | 7.0% | +263.4% |
| 2005 | -3.6% | -151.7% |
| 2006 | 4.1% | -213.2% |
| 2007 | 5.2% | +27.3% |
| 2008 | 4.3% | -17.7% |
| 2009 | 3.1% | -27.2% |
| 2010 | 3.1% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 4.7% | +51.5% |
| 2012 | 3.7% | -20.7% |
| 2013 | 3.4% | -7.2% |
| 2014 | 4.3% | +24.6% |
| 2015 | 3.5% | -19.4% |
| 2016 | 3.5% | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 3.6% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 4.2% | +16.9% |
| 2019 | 2.8% | -34.6% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | -51.3% |
| 2021 | 2.0% | +49.5% |
| 2022 | 4.1% | +101.1% |
| 2023 | 2.0% | -49.8% |
| 2024 | 3.1% | +50.2% |
| 2025 | 2.0% | -33.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.3% | 0.2% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.9% | 0.2% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.7% | 0.6% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.2% | -3.6% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.7% | 2.8% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 1.3% | 4.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 100 Armenia 2.1% compare
- 101 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 2.1% compare
- 102 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 2.1% compare
- 104 Poland 1.9% compare
- 105 Palestine, State of 1.9% compare
- 106 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1.9% 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)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0532 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per capita 3,463 current US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.0822 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per capita 5,351 current LCU per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.046 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 2,994 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 5,104 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual -4.23 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Australia?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Australia was 2.0% in 2025, according to IMF International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments; World Bank International Debt Statistics and GDP estimates; and OECD GDP estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 7.0% in 2004.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.6% in 2005.
- How does Australia rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- Australia ranks 103rd out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from IMF International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments; World Bank International Debt Statistics and GDP estimates; and OECD GDP estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Net inflows of foreign direct investment from foreign investors to the reporting economy.