Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Pakistan
Pakistan: 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 Pakistan, 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 Pakistan stood at 0.5%.
That represents a change of down 36.6% on the previous year and down 18.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Pakistan peaked at 3.0% in 2007 and was at its lowest, -0.1%, in 1973.
That places Pakistan 161st 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 Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.2% | — |
| 1971 | 0.0% | -95.9% |
| 1972 | 0.2% | +1825.9% |
| 1973 | -0.1% | -134.7% |
| 1974 | 0.0% | -171.7% |
| 1975 | 0.2% | +395.3% |
| 1976 | 0.1% | -72.0% |
| 1977 | 0.1% | +61.2% |
| 1978 | 0.2% | +80.0% |
| 1979 | 0.3% | +63.3% |
| 1980 | 0.3% | -9.1% |
| 1981 | 0.4% | +43.0% |
| 1982 | 0.2% | -46.0% |
| 1983 | 0.1% | -50.6% |
| 1984 | 0.2% | +73.6% |
| 1985 | 0.4% | +136.7% |
| 1986 | 0.3% | -21.4% |
| 1987 | 0.4% | +17.0% |
| 1988 | 0.5% | +25.0% |
| 1989 | 0.5% | +8.2% |
| 1990 | 0.6% | +16.9% |
| 1991 | 0.6% | -7.6% |
| 1992 | 0.7% | +21.5% |
| 1993 | 0.7% | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 0.8% | +19.7% |
| 1995 | 1.2% | +48.0% |
| 1996 | 1.5% | +22.2% |
| 1997 | 1.1% | -21.2% |
| 1998 | 0.8% | -29.1% |
| 1999 | 0.8% | +3.8% |
| 2000 | 0.3% | -63.4% |
| 2001 | 0.4% | +25.7% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | +116.8% |
| 2003 | 0.5% | -43.7% |
| 2004 | 0.8% | +77.9% |
| 2005 | 1.5% | +79.3% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | +74.2% |
| 2007 | 3.0% | +15.0% |
| 2008 | 2.7% | -11.4% |
| 2009 | 1.2% | -53.6% |
| 2010 | 1.0% | -17.6% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | -44.1% |
| 2012 | 0.3% | -40.3% |
| 2013 | 0.5% | +50.1% |
| 2014 | 0.7% | +34.9% |
| 2015 | 0.6% | -19.8% |
| 2016 | 0.8% | +47.3% |
| 2017 | 0.7% | -10.4% |
| 2018 | 0.5% | -33.7% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | +42.7% |
| 2020 | 0.7% | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 0.6% | -10.0% |
| 2022 | 0.4% | -36.7% |
| 2023 | 0.6% | +56.0% |
| 2024 | 0.7% | +17.9% |
| 2025 | 0.5% | -36.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.1% | -0.1% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9% | 0.6% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.4% | 0.3% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6% | 0.3% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More economy & growth data for Pakistan
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.11 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 11.76 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.1318 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per capita 210.32 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate 9.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1721 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per capita 274.63 current US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate 8.32 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 48.08 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Pakistan?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Pakistan 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 3.0% in 2007.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.1% in 1973.
- How does Pakistan rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- Pakistan ranks 161st out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Pakistan 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.