Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Japan
Japan: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP was 1.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Japan, 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
Japan recorded 1.0% for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in 2025.
That represents a change of up 129.3% on the previous year and up 791.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Japan peaked at 1.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, -0.1%, in 2006.
That places Japan 144th 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 Japan, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.0% | — |
| 1971 | 0.1% | +97.8% |
| 1972 | 0.1% | -39.2% |
| 1973 | -0.0% | -118.3% |
| 1974 | 0.0% | -533.3% |
| 1975 | 0.0% | +2.9% |
| 1976 | 0.0% | -55.5% |
| 1977 | 0.0% | -84.9% |
| 1978 | 0.0% | -72.9% |
| 1979 | 0.0% | +2770.3% |
| 1980 | 0.0% | +11.0% |
| 1981 | 0.0% | -38.3% |
| 1982 | 0.0% | +149.6% |
| 1983 | 0.0% | -13.6% |
| 1984 | -0.0% | -102.3% |
| 1985 | 0.0% | -5840.8% |
| 1986 | 0.0% | -73.2% |
| 1987 | 0.0% | +299.5% |
| 1988 | -0.0% | -133.9% |
| 1989 | -0.0% | +120.2% |
| 1990 | 0.1% | -266.3% |
| 1991 | 0.0% | -37.9% |
| 1992 | 0.1% | +96.6% |
| 1993 | 0.0% | -93.3% |
| 1994 | 0.0% | +283.2% |
| 1995 | 0.0% | -95.8% |
| 1996 | -0.0% | -203.5% |
| 1997 | 0.1% | -7237.5% |
| 1998 | 0.1% | +11.5% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | +420.8% |
| 2000 | 0.2% | -32.8% |
| 2001 | 0.1% | -47.6% |
| 2002 | 0.3% | +145.3% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | -29.5% |
| 2004 | 0.2% | -20.6% |
| 2005 | 0.1% | -26.5% |
| 2006 | -0.1% | -146.1% |
| 2007 | 0.5% | -1007.0% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 0.2% | -52.0% |
| 2010 | 0.1% | -44.1% |
| 2011 | -0.0% | -110.6% |
| 2012 | 0.0% | -163.7% |
| 2013 | 0.2% | +2238.8% |
| 2014 | 0.4% | +96.2% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | -70.8% |
| 2016 | 0.8% | +591.9% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | -53.4% |
| 2018 | 0.5% | +31.5% |
| 2019 | 0.8% | +55.3% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | +58.3% |
| 2021 | 0.7% | -44.4% |
| 2022 | 1.1% | +61.5% |
| 2023 | 0.5% | -57.9% |
| 2024 | 0.5% | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 1.0% | +129.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | -0.0% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0% | -0.0% | 0.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | -0.0% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | -0.1% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3% | -0.0% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8% | 0.5% | 1.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More economy & growth data for Japan
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.03 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 0.4463 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1882 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per capita 6,360 current US$ per person (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP 28.48 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per capita 962,654 current LCU per person (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2233 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 7,546 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 895,261 constant LCU per person (2024)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual -7.46 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Japan?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Japan was 1.0% 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.1% in 2006.
- How does Japan rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- Japan ranks 144th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 791.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan 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.