Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Kuwait
Kuwait: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP was 0.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.3%
Change on year
down 31.2%
World rank
168th
of 198 countries
All-time high
6.1%
in 1994
All-time low
-0.5%
in 2020
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Kuwait, 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
Kuwait recorded 0.3% for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in 2025.
That represents a change of down 31.2% on the previous year and up 5.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Kuwait peaked at 6.1% in 1994 and was at its lowest, -0.5%, in 2020.
Kuwait ranks 168th of 198 countries on this measure, 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 Kuwait, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.9% | — |
| 1971 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 1972 | 0.0% | -12.8% |
| 1973 | 0.0% | +2368.5% |
| 1974 | 0.0% | -83.4% |
| 1975 | 0.0% | +125.4% |
| 1976 | -0.0% | -286.8% |
| 1977 | 0.0% | -342.2% |
| 1978 | 0.0% | -47.9% |
| 1979 | 0.0% | +5.5% |
| 1980 | 0.0% | -44.0% |
| 1981 | 0.0% | +66.6% |
| 1982 | -0.0% | -108.6% |
| 1983 | 0.0% | -145.9% |
| 1984 | -0.0% | -14599.1% |
| 1985 | 0.0% | -221.7% |
| 1986 | -0.1% | -340.1% |
| 1987 | -0.0% | -65.2% |
| 1988 | 0.1% | -379.2% |
| 1989 | 0.0% | -80.9% |
| 1990 | 0.0% | +101.9% |
| 1991 | 0.0% | -76.1% |
| 1992 | 0.2% | +2346.4% |
| 1993 | 0.1% | -68.9% |
| 1994 | 6.1% | +10945.2% |
| 1995 | 0.0% | -99.6% |
| 1996 | 1.1% | +4374.7% |
| 1997 | 0.1% | -94.1% |
| 1998 | 0.2% | +249.3% |
| 1999 | 0.2% | +5.4% |
| 2000 | 0.0% | -82.0% |
| 2001 | -0.3% | -839.6% |
| 2002 | 0.0% | -103.0% |
| 2003 | -0.1% | -1577.0% |
| 2004 | 0.0% | -128.5% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | +624.4% |
| 2006 | 0.1% | -58.7% |
| 2007 | 0.1% | -18.5% |
| 2008 | -0.0% | -104.2% |
| 2009 | 1.1% | -26122.1% |
| 2010 | 1.1% | +7.6% |
| 2011 | 2.1% | +87.2% |
| 2012 | 1.7% | -22.0% |
| 2013 | 0.8% | -50.1% |
| 2014 | 0.3% | -63.7% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | -16.8% |
| 2016 | 0.3% | +7.4% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | -64.9% |
| 2018 | -0.0% | -116.5% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | -2474.1% |
| 2020 | -0.5% | -237.3% |
| 2021 | -0.2% | -63.5% |
| 2022 | 0.4% | -323.3% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | +211.7% |
| 2024 | 0.4% | -70.1% |
| 2025 | 0.3% | -31.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.1% | -0.0% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.0% | -0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8% | 0.0% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1% | -0.3% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | -0.0% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3% | -0.5% | 1.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
More economy & growth data for Kuwait
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.82 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.61 Percent per annum (2029)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 2.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.3969 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 12,824 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), annual 2.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 0.1663 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 5,373 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 4.66 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.5962 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Kuwait?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Kuwait was 0.3% 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 Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 6.1% in 1994.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.5% in 2020.
- How does Kuwait rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- Kuwait ranks 168th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kuwait 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.