Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Ghana
Ghana: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP was 1.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Ghana, 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 Ghana stood at 1.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 21.2% on the previous year and down 74.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Ghana peaked at 9.5% in 2008 and was at its lowest, -0.7%, in 1976.
That places Ghana 114th 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 Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.1% | — |
| 1971 | 1.3% | -58.6% |
| 1972 | 0.5% | -57.0% |
| 1973 | 0.5% | -12.0% |
| 1974 | 0.5% | +2.9% |
| 1975 | 2.5% | +411.5% |
| 1976 | -0.7% | -126.2% |
| 1977 | 0.6% | -191.2% |
| 1978 | 0.3% | -56.1% |
| 1979 | -0.1% | -126.3% |
| 1980 | 0.4% | -603.9% |
| 1981 | 0.4% | +9.8% |
| 1982 | 0.4% | +4.9% |
| 1983 | 0.1% | -85.4% |
| 1984 | 0.0% | -23.4% |
| 1985 | 0.1% | +174.3% |
| 1986 | 0.1% | -39.7% |
| 1987 | 0.1% | +23.5% |
| 1988 | 0.1% | +3.9% |
| 1989 | 0.3% | +196.9% |
| 1990 | 0.3% | -12.0% |
| 1991 | 0.3% | +20.5% |
| 1992 | 0.4% | +15.8% |
| 1993 | 2.1% | +497.2% |
| 1994 | 4.3% | +104.3% |
| 1995 | 1.6% | -61.5% |
| 1996 | 1.7% | +5.1% |
| 1997 | 1.2% | -31.4% |
| 1998 | 2.2% | +88.5% |
| 1999 | 3.2% | +41.1% |
| 2000 | 3.3% | +5.4% |
| 2001 | 1.7% | -49.5% |
| 2002 | 1.0% | -43.1% |
| 2003 | 1.8% | +87.5% |
| 2004 | 1.6% | -12.5% |
| 2005 | 1.3% | -14.0% |
| 2006 | 3.0% | +125.7% |
| 2007 | 5.6% | +82.9% |
| 2008 | 9.5% | +69.9% |
| 2009 | 9.1% | -3.8% |
| 2010 | 7.8% | -13.8% |
| 2011 | 8.3% | +5.2% |
| 2012 | 8.0% | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 5.1% | -35.7% |
| 2014 | 6.2% | +19.8% |
| 2015 | 6.5% | +5.0% |
| 2016 | 6.2% | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 5.4% | -13.2% |
| 2018 | 4.4% | -17.6% |
| 2019 | 5.7% | +27.7% |
| 2020 | 2.7% | -52.8% |
| 2021 | 3.2% | +18.9% |
| 2022 | 1.9% | -39.4% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | -15.2% |
| 2024 | 2.1% | +29.4% |
| 2025 | 1.7% | -21.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.9% | -0.7% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.7% | 0.3% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.8% | 1.0% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.4% | 4.4% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 1.6% | 3.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More economy & growth data for Ghana
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.15 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1011 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per capita 329.19 current US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP 1.27 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per capita 4,134 current LCU per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.0752 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 244.78 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 649.98 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 37.37 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Ghana?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Ghana was 1.7% 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 Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 9.5% in 2008.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.7% in 1976.
- How does Ghana rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- Ghana ranks 114th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 74.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ghana 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.