Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in El Salvador
El Salvador: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP was 2.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in El Salvador, 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 El Salvador stood at 2.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 31.0% on the previous year and down 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in El Salvador peaked at 10.1% in 1998 and was at its lowest, -0.6%, in 2010.
That places El Salvador 99th 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 El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.3% | — |
| 1971 | 0.6% | +80.7% |
| 1972 | 0.5% | -11.5% |
| 1973 | 0.4% | -20.3% |
| 1974 | 1.2% | +190.0% |
| 1975 | 0.7% | -42.4% |
| 1976 | 0.6% | -19.9% |
| 1977 | 0.6% | +13.8% |
| 1978 | 0.7% | +17.9% |
| 1979 | -0.3% | -138.5% |
| 1980 | 0.2% | -157.2% |
| 1981 | -0.2% | -201.1% |
| 1982 | -0.0% | -82.3% |
| 1983 | 0.8% | -2822.2% |
| 1984 | 0.3% | -57.9% |
| 1985 | 0.3% | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 0.6% | +96.1% |
| 1987 | 0.5% | -27.7% |
| 1988 | 0.4% | -12.5% |
| 1989 | 0.3% | -18.9% |
| 1990 | 0.0% | -88.0% |
| 1991 | 0.5% | +1116.7% |
| 1992 | 0.3% | -45.1% |
| 1993 | 0.2% | -6.6% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | +73.3% |
| 1997 | 0.6% | +35.5% |
| 1998 | 10.1% | +1645.5% |
| 1999 | 1.9% | -81.0% |
| 2000 | 1.5% | -23.1% |
| 2001 | 2.3% | +54.3% |
| 2002 | 3.7% | +63.4% |
| 2003 | 1.1% | -71.3% |
| 2004 | 2.6% | +148.3% |
| 2005 | 3.5% | +31.4% |
| 2006 | 1.5% | -56.7% |
| 2007 | 9.1% | +504.8% |
| 2008 | 5.0% | -44.9% |
| 2009 | 2.1% | -58.3% |
| 2010 | -0.6% | -129.3% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | -198.5% |
| 2012 | 2.0% | +233.0% |
| 2013 | 1.1% | -44.6% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | +101.0% |
| 2015 | 2.1% | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 2.0% | -6.1% |
| 2017 | 2.0% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | -21.4% |
| 2019 | 2.6% | +63.3% |
| 2020 | 1.6% | -40.1% |
| 2021 | 2.8% | +77.7% |
| 2022 | 0.1% | -97.0% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | +2716.7% |
| 2024 | 3.0% | +30.0% |
| 2025 | 2.1% | -31.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.5% | -0.3% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3% | -0.2% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.8% | 0.0% | 10.1% | 8 |
| 2000s | 3.2% | 1.1% | 9.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.6% | -0.6% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.0% | 0.1% | 3.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
- 96 Tanzania, United Republic of 2.2% compare
- 97 Ukraine 2.1% compare
- 98 Solomon Islands 2.1% compare
- 100 Armenia 2.1% compare
- 101 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 2.1% compare
- 102 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 2.1% compare
More economy & growth data for El Salvador
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.92 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.3 Percent per annum (2029)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita 4,425 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 8.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 1.24 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per capita 7,154 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), annual growth rate 8.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP 1.24 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per capita 7,154 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 7.7 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in El Salvador?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in El Salvador was 2.1% 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 El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 10.1% in 1998.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.6% in 2010.
- How does El Salvador rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- El Salvador ranks 99th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this El Salvador 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.