Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Benin
Benin: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP was 2.5% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Benin, 1970–2024
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
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Benin is 2.5%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 12.3% on the previous year and down 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Benin peaked at 3.1% in 2014 and was at its lowest, -1.3%, in 1988.
That places Benin 82nd out of 198 countries with data for 2024, 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 Benin, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.0% | — |
| 1971 | 0.8% | -58.4% |
| 1972 | 1.2% | +40.0% |
| 1973 | 0.7% | -40.7% |
| 1974 | -0.4% | -160.9% |
| 1975 | 0.3% | -166.1% |
| 1976 | 0.4% | +25.8% |
| 1977 | 0.4% | +18.7% |
| 1978 | 0.1% | -80.5% |
| 1979 | 0.3% | +270.9% |
| 1980 | 0.3% | +2.1% |
| 1981 | 0.2% | -47.3% |
| 1982 | -0.0% | -100.6% |
| 1983 | 0.0% | -199.8% |
| 1984 | 0.0% | +13.6% |
| 1985 | -0.0% | -890.6% |
| 1986 | 0.1% | -1056.6% |
| 1987 | 0.0% | -92.2% |
| 1988 | -1.3% | -20988.8% |
| 1989 | -0.1% | -94.4% |
| 1990 | -0.2% | +102.5% |
| 1991 | 0.0% | -113.2% |
| 1992 | 0.1% | +183.9% |
| 1993 | -1.0% | -1789.8% |
| 1994 | -0.4% | -53.2% |
| 1995 | -0.4% | -19.8% |
| 1996 | -0.6% | +74.1% |
| 1997 | 0.5% | -186.5% |
| 1998 | 0.5% | -14.4% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | -44.9% |
| 2000 | -0.4% | -243.5% |
| 2001 | 0.5% | -225.6% |
| 2002 | -0.5% | -201.3% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | -143.0% |
| 2004 | -0.7% | -431.2% |
| 2005 | -0.1% | -79.7% |
| 2006 | -0.2% | +31.3% |
| 2007 | 1.7% | -1069.4% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | -71.1% |
| 2009 | -0.2% | -139.2% |
| 2010 | 0.6% | -390.6% |
| 2011 | 1.5% | +168.8% |
| 2012 | 2.5% | +67.5% |
| 2013 | 2.9% | +13.9% |
| 2014 | 3.1% | +6.1% |
| 2015 | 1.3% | -56.9% |
| 2016 | 1.1% | -15.2% |
| 2017 | 1.6% | +41.9% |
| 2018 | 1.4% | -14.0% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | +11.4% |
| 2020 | 1.1% | -26.8% |
| 2021 | 2.0% | +76.3% |
| 2022 | 2.2% | +10.3% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | +4.4% |
| 2024 | 2.5% | +12.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.6% | -0.4% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.1% | -1.3% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.1% | -1.0% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1% | -0.7% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 0.6% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.0% | 1.1% | 2.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More economy & growth data for Benin
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.42 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 6.03 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 81,602 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 15.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.175 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 290.27 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual 10.51 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 101.86 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 168,916 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 9.82 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Benin?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Benin was 2.5% in 2024, 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 Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 3.1% in 2014.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.3% in 1988.
- How does Benin rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- Benin ranks 82nd out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Benin 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Net inflows of foreign direct investment from foreign investors to the reporting economy.