Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Somalia
Somalia: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP was 6.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Somalia, 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
Somalia recorded 6.4% for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.5% on the previous year and up 40.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Somalia peaked at 6.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, -4.1%, in 1988.
That places Somalia 32nd out of 198 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 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 Somalia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.3% | — |
| 1971 | 0.5% | -62.1% |
| 1972 | 1.0% | +105.1% |
| 1973 | 0.1% | -87.7% |
| 1974 | 0.1% | -1.4% |
| 1975 | 1.6% | +1173.8% |
| 1976 | 0.3% | -83.8% |
| 1977 | 1.6% | +518.1% |
| 1978 | 0.1% | -96.6% |
| 1979 | 0.0% | -96.8% |
| 1980 | -0.0% | -393.6% |
| 1981 | 0.0% | -415.9% |
| 1982 | -0.1% | -723.8% |
| 1983 | -1.1% | +1040.6% |
| 1984 | -1.9% | +69.5% |
| 1985 | -0.1% | -95.7% |
| 1986 | 0.3% | -511.8% |
| 1987 | 6.3% | +1791.4% |
| 1988 | -4.1% | -165.3% |
| 1989 | -3.5% | -15.6% |
| 1990 | 0.5% | -115.6% |
| 1991 | -0.0% | -103.9% |
| 1992 | -0.0% | -59.5% |
| 1993 | 0.2% | -1976.2% |
| 1994 | 0.1% | -57.5% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | -3.5% |
| 1996 | 0.1% | +11.3% |
| 1997 | 0.1% | -30.8% |
| 1998 | 0.0% | -97.3% |
| 1999 | -0.0% | -2069.3% |
| 2000 | 0.0% | -129.7% |
| 2001 | 0.0% | -77.6% |
| 2002 | 0.0% | +259.6% |
| 2003 | -0.0% | -569.3% |
| 2004 | -0.1% | +314.2% |
| 2005 | 0.5% | -512.9% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | +272.7% |
| 2007 | 2.6% | +35.9% |
| 2008 | 1.5% | -43.3% |
| 2009 | 3.7% | +149.0% |
| 2010 | 4.2% | +13.8% |
| 2011 | 3.5% | -15.8% |
| 2012 | 2.5% | -29.9% |
| 2013 | 5.1% | +107.2% |
| 2014 | 4.6% | -10.6% |
| 2015 | 4.9% | +8.1% |
| 2016 | 5.0% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 4.8% | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 5.2% | +7.0% |
| 2019 | 5.2% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 6.2% | +19.9% |
| 2021 | 6.3% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 6.2% | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 6.2% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 6.4% | +3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.6% | 0.0% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.4% | -4.1% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | -0.0% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.0% | -0.1% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.5% | 2.5% | 5.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.3% | 6.2% | 6.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
More economy & growth data for Somalia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.52 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 4.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.7514 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 496.82 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current US$), annual growth -11.25 % change on previous year (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current LCU), annual growth -19.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual 220.94 % change on previous year (1990)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 1,058 current LCU per US$ of GDP (1990)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 154,034 current LCU per person (1990)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Somalia?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Somalia was 6.4% 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 Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.1% in 1988.
- How does Somalia rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- Somalia ranks 32nd out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 40.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Somalia 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.