Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Nigeria
Nigeria: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP was 1.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
1.4%
Change on year
up 115.3%
World rank
130th
of 198 countries
All-time high
4.3%
in 1989
All-time low
-1.2%
in 1980
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Nigeria, 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 Nigeria stood at 1.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 115.3% on the previous year and up 121.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Nigeria peaked at 4.3% in 1989 and was at its lowest, -1.2%, in 1980.
That places Nigeria 130th 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.6% | — |
| 1971 | 3.1% | +90.6% |
| 1972 | 2.5% | -20.2% |
| 1973 | 2.5% | -1.0% |
| 1974 | 1.0% | -58.0% |
| 1975 | 1.7% | +63.6% |
| 1976 | 0.9% | -44.8% |
| 1977 | 1.2% | +30.9% |
| 1978 | 0.6% | -52.8% |
| 1979 | 0.7% | +13.4% |
| 1980 | -1.2% | -275.7% |
| 1981 | 0.3% | -128.7% |
| 1982 | 0.3% | -8.5% |
| 1983 | 0.4% | +24.4% |
| 1984 | 0.3% | -31.4% |
| 1985 | 0.7% | +155.8% |
| 1986 | 0.4% | -46.5% |
| 1987 | 1.2% | +228.8% |
| 1988 | 0.8% | -34.2% |
| 1989 | 4.3% | +461.4% |
| 1990 | 1.1% | -74.6% |
| 1991 | 1.2% | +10.0% |
| 1992 | 1.7% | +43.9% |
| 1993 | 2.4% | +37.7% |
| 1994 | 2.4% | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 0.2% | -90.2% |
| 1996 | 0.3% | +12.8% |
| 1997 | 0.2% | -13.0% |
| 1998 | 0.1% | -41.3% |
| 1999 | 1.7% | +1138.8% |
| 2000 | 1.6% | -3.0% |
| 2001 | 1.6% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 2.0% | +21.8% |
| 2003 | 1.9% | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 1.4% | -27.9% |
| 2005 | 2.8% | +105.5% |
| 2006 | 2.0% | -28.2% |
| 2007 | 2.2% | +6.6% |
| 2008 | 2.4% | +11.3% |
| 2009 | 2.9% | +20.2% |
| 2010 | 1.6% | -43.4% |
| 2011 | 2.1% | +29.9% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | -28.6% |
| 2013 | 1.1% | -29.8% |
| 2014 | 0.8% | -23.6% |
| 2015 | 0.6% | -24.0% |
| 2016 | 0.9% | +37.3% |
| 2017 | 0.6% | -24.7% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | -71.4% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | +87.7% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | +15.5% |
| 2021 | 0.5% | +36.5% |
| 2022 | -0.0% | -105.3% |
| 2023 | 0.4% | -1430.6% |
| 2024 | 0.6% | +66.5% |
| 2025 | 1.4% | +115.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.6% | 0.6% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.7% | -1.2% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.1% | 0.1% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.1% | 1.4% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.0% | 0.2% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6% | -0.0% | 1.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 127 Qatar 1.4% compare
- 128 Kyrgyzstan 1.4% compare
- 129 Jamaica 1.4% compare
- 131 Sudan 1.4% compare
- 132 New Zealand 1.4% compare
- 133 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 1.4% compare
More economy & growth data for Nigeria
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.04 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.32 Percent per annum (2029)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual 5.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 348.91 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 427,154 current LCU per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 2.92 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.4555 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 557.59 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant LCU) 2.92 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant LCU), per 209.92 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Nigeria?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Nigeria was 1.4% 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 4.3% in 1989.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.2% in 1980.
- How does Nigeria rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- Nigeria ranks 130th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 121.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Net inflows of foreign direct investment from foreign investors to the reporting economy.