Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Iceland
Iceland: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP was -0.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Iceland, 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
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Iceland is -0.5%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 106.1% on the previous year and down 108.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Iceland peaked at 31.3% in 2007 and was at its lowest, -27.9%, in 2017.
That places Iceland 181st out of 198 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
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 Iceland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.8% | — |
| 1971 | 2.9% | +245.8% |
| 1972 | 0.3% | -88.7% |
| 1973 | -0.1% | -139.0% |
| 1974 | 0.8% | -770.5% |
| 1975 | 2.9% | +245.9% |
| 1976 | 0.3% | -91.1% |
| 1977 | 0.2% | -29.4% |
| 1978 | 0.3% | +69.6% |
| 1979 | 0.1% | -66.3% |
| 1980 | 0.6% | +507.0% |
| 1981 | 1.5% | +130.1% |
| 1982 | 1.1% | -26.4% |
| 1983 | -0.8% | -175.8% |
| 1984 | 0.5% | -156.5% |
| 1985 | 0.8% | +65.4% |
| 1986 | 0.2% | -73.1% |
| 1987 | 0.0% | -79.6% |
| 1988 | -0.2% | -657.5% |
| 1989 | -0.5% | +99.3% |
| 1990 | -0.1% | -84.6% |
| 1991 | -0.3% | +259.3% |
| 1992 | 0.1% | -145.8% |
| 1993 | -0.0% | -100.0% |
| 1994 | 0.0% | -198417.8% |
| 1995 | -0.1% | -448.7% |
| 1996 | 1.1% | -959.1% |
| 1997 | 1.9% | +76.8% |
| 1998 | 1.8% | -7.0% |
| 1999 | 0.7% | -59.0% |
| 2000 | 1.7% | +132.0% |
| 2001 | 2.0% | +15.7% |
| 2002 | 1.0% | -50.3% |
| 2003 | 2.9% | +197.1% |
| 2004 | 5.4% | +86.5% |
| 2005 | 18.0% | +233.6% |
| 2006 | 21.9% | +21.6% |
| 2007 | 31.3% | +42.7% |
| 2008 | 6.6% | -78.9% |
| 2009 | 0.5% | -92.7% |
| 2010 | 1.8% | +283.5% |
| 2011 | 7.2% | +289.6% |
| 2012 | 6.9% | -4.7% |
| 2013 | 2.9% | -57.5% |
| 2014 | 4.2% | +46.0% |
| 2015 | 6.5% | +52.4% |
| 2016 | -5.1% | -178.1% |
| 2017 | -27.9% | +452.3% |
| 2018 | -2.3% | -91.6% |
| 2019 | -2.2% | -4.6% |
| 2020 | -4.0% | +79.0% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | -138.3% |
| 2022 | 4.7% | +210.0% |
| 2023 | 6.0% | +25.8% |
| 2024 | 8.5% | +43.2% |
| 2025 | -0.5% | -106.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.8% | -0.1% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3% | -0.8% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5% | -0.3% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.1% | 0.5% | 31.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.8% | -27.9% | 7.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.7% | -4.0% | 8.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 178 Lesotho -0.2% compare
- 179 Kazakhstan -0.3% compare
- 180 South Africa -0.5% compare
- 182 Papua New Guinea -0.6% compare
- 183 Burkina Faso -0.9% compare
- 184 Switzerland -1.2% compare
More economy & growth data for Iceland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.96 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.48 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0853 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per capita 8,386 current US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP 10.96 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per capita 1.08 million current LCU per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.051 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 5,012 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 729,781 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 16.18 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Iceland?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Iceland was -0.5% 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 Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 31.3% in 2007.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was -27.9% in 2017.
- How does Iceland rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- Iceland ranks 181st out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 108.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iceland 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.