Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP was 7.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Saint Lucia, 1980–2025
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
Saint Lucia recorded 7.3% for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in 2025.
That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Saint Lucia peaked at 22.8% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 2018.
Saint Lucia ranks 27th of 198 countries on this measure, 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 Saint Lucia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 18.1% | — |
| 1981 | 19.6% | +8.3% |
| 1982 | 14.5% | -26.4% |
| 1983 | 5.1% | -64.9% |
| 1984 | 4.8% | -6.0% |
| 1985 | 6.0% | +25.2% |
| 1986 | 4.3% | -28.6% |
| 1987 | 4.0% | -6.5% |
| 1988 | 3.8% | -4.2% |
| 1989 | 5.5% | +43.0% |
| 1990 | 7.7% | +41.2% |
| 1991 | 9.4% | +21.8% |
| 1992 | 6.1% | -35.4% |
| 1993 | 5.0% | -17.9% |
| 1994 | 4.6% | -8.7% |
| 1995 | 4.3% | -5.8% |
| 1996 | 2.3% | -45.6% |
| 1997 | 5.9% | +154.2% |
| 1998 | 9.5% | +60.2% |
| 1999 | 9.0% | -5.1% |
| 2000 | 10.3% | +14.2% |
| 2001 | 11.7% | +14.0% |
| 2002 | 11.1% | -5.5% |
| 2003 | 16.6% | +49.5% |
| 2004 | 11.4% | -31.3% |
| 2005 | 10.2% | -10.8% |
| 2006 | 22.8% | +124.0% |
| 2007 | 15.2% | -33.3% |
| 2008 | 13.6% | -10.4% |
| 2009 | 9.6% | -29.2% |
| 2010 | 11.8% | +22.0% |
| 2011 | 6.2% | -47.3% |
| 2012 | 7.4% | +19.1% |
| 2013 | 7.6% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 3.8% | -49.2% |
| 2015 | 8.4% | +119.0% |
| 2016 | 8.6% | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 4.5% | -48.0% |
| 2018 | 2.2% | -50.9% |
| 2019 | 3.6% | +63.6% |
| 2020 | 6.5% | +80.3% |
| 2021 | 3.8% | -42.4% |
| 2022 | 2.5% | -33.3% |
| 2023 | 8.3% | +232.5% |
| 2024 | 7.2% | -13.9% |
| 2025 | 7.3% | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.6% | 3.8% | 19.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.4% | 2.3% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.3% | 9.6% | 22.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.4% | 2.2% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.9% | 2.5% | 8.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saint Lucia
- 24 New Caledonia 8.5% compare
- 25 United Arab Emirates 8.3% compare
- 26 Montenegro 7.3% compare
- 28 Lebanon 7.1% compare
- 29 Nicaragua 6.9% compare
- 30 Dominica 6.8% compare
More economy & growth data for Saint Lucia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.31 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual 16.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 0.0448 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 660.01 current LCU per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 7.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.0188 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 276.57 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant LCU) 7.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant LCU), per 0.0392 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Saint Lucia?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Saint Lucia was 7.3% 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 Saint Lucia?
- The highest recorded value was 22.8% in 2006.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Saint Lucia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 2018.
- How does Saint Lucia rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- Saint Lucia ranks 27th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Saint Lucia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saint Lucia 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.