Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Jamaica
Jamaica: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP was 1.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1.4%
Change on year
down 39.7%
World rank
129th
of 198 countries
All-time high
11.5%
in 1970
All-time low
-1.1%
in 1979
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Jamaica, 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
In 2024, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Jamaica stood at 1.4%.
That represents a change of down 39.7% on the previous year and down 66.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Jamaica peaked at 11.5% in 1970 and was at its lowest, -1.1%, in 1979.
That places Jamaica 129th 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 Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 11.5% | — |
| 1971 | 11.4% | -1.4% |
| 1972 | 5.2% | -54.3% |
| 1973 | 3.8% | -26.0% |
| 1974 | 1.3% | -66.6% |
| 1975 | 2.1% | +67.2% |
| 1976 | -0.0% | -100.9% |
| 1977 | -0.3% | +1375.5% |
| 1978 | -1.0% | +237.0% |
| 1979 | -1.1% | +8.2% |
| 1980 | 1.0% | -195.0% |
| 1981 | -0.4% | -137.3% |
| 1982 | -0.5% | +24.3% |
| 1983 | -0.5% | +7.7% |
| 1984 | 0.5% | -199.5% |
| 1985 | -0.4% | -183.4% |
| 1986 | -0.2% | -61.0% |
| 1987 | 1.6% | -1072.8% |
| 1988 | -0.3% | -119.3% |
| 1989 | 1.3% | -513.5% |
| 1990 | 3.0% | +131.7% |
| 1991 | 3.2% | +8.0% |
| 1992 | 4.0% | +24.2% |
| 1993 | 1.4% | -64.4% |
| 1994 | 1.4% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 1.5% | +6.8% |
| 1996 | 1.8% | +18.6% |
| 1997 | 1.9% | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 3.7% | +97.8% |
| 1999 | 5.3% | +45.7% |
| 2000 | 4.7% | -12.8% |
| 2001 | 6.3% | +34.6% |
| 2002 | 4.6% | -27.2% |
| 2003 | 7.2% | +58.7% |
| 2004 | 5.5% | -24.1% |
| 2005 | 5.7% | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 7.1% | +24.5% |
| 2007 | 6.3% | -10.2% |
| 2008 | 10.0% | +58.3% |
| 2009 | 4.0% | -60.1% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | -64.9% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | -14.9% |
| 2012 | 2.8% | +133.4% |
| 2013 | 3.8% | +36.8% |
| 2014 | 4.2% | +9.7% |
| 2015 | 6.2% | +47.6% |
| 2016 | 6.2% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 5.6% | -9.6% |
| 2018 | 4.6% | -18.4% |
| 2019 | 3.9% | -15.0% |
| 2020 | 1.8% | -54.8% |
| 2021 | 2.0% | +13.6% |
| 2022 | 1.7% | -15.6% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | +35.7% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | -39.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.3% | -1.1% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2% | -0.5% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 1.4% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.1% | 4.0% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.0% | 1.2% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 126 Equatorial Guinea 1.4% compare
- 127 Qatar 1.4% compare
- 128 Kyrgyzstan 1.4% compare
- 130 Nigeria 1.4% compare
- 131 Sudan 1.4% compare
- 132 New Zealand 1.4% compare
More economy & growth data for Jamaica
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.76 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.6 Percent per annum (2029)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual 15.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 13.91 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 111,319 current LCU per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 2.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.0497 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 397.73 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant LCU) 2.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant LCU), per 5.81 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Jamaica?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Jamaica was 1.4% 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 Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 11.5% in 1970.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.1% in 1979.
- How does Jamaica rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- Jamaica ranks 129th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 66.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Jamaica 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.