Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP was 13.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Timor-Leste, 2003–2025
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 Timor-Leste stood at 13.3%. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
That represents a change of up 10.2% on the previous year and up 392.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Timor-Leste peaked at 13.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, -16.2%, in 2020.
Timor-Leste ranks 11th of 198 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
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 Timor-Leste, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 0.9% | — |
| 2005 | 0.2% | -78.7% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | +851.1% |
| 2007 | 1.6% | -14.3% |
| 2008 | 6.1% | +282.1% |
| 2009 | 6.6% | +7.8% |
| 2010 | 3.4% | -47.9% |
| 2011 | 4.7% | +36.8% |
| 2012 | 3.5% | -26.1% |
| 2013 | 4.0% | +15.0% |
| 2014 | 2.3% | -41.5% |
| 2015 | 2.7% | +15.4% |
| 2016 | 0.3% | -87.6% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | +26.9% |
| 2018 | 3.1% | +626.9% |
| 2019 | -7.8% | -353.1% |
| 2020 | -16.2% | +107.9% |
| 2021 | -6.6% | -59.3% |
| 2022 | 1.7% | -125.4% |
| 2023 | 5.9% | +251.3% |
| 2024 | 12.1% | +105.7% |
| 2025 | 13.3% | +10.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.9% | 0.2% | 6.6% | 6 |
| 2010s | 1.7% | -7.8% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.7% | -16.2% | 13.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Timor-Leste
- 8 Palau 21.5% compare
- 9 Mozambique 15.4% compare
- 10 Namibia 14.2% compare
- 12 Mauritania 13.2% compare
- 13 Antigua and Barbuda 12.1% compare
- 14 Grenada 12.0% compare
More economy & growth data for Timor-Leste
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual 5.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 20.71 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 236.37 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.1775 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.6151 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 268.53 current LCU per person (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 0.2016 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 889.77 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 11.98 % change on previous year (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.668 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Timor-Leste?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Timor-Leste was 13.3% 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 Timor-Leste?
- The highest recorded value was 13.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Timor-Leste?
- The lowest recorded value was -16.2% in 2020.
- How does Timor-Leste rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- Timor-Leste ranks 11th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Timor-Leste?
- Over the last ten years it is up 392.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Timor-Leste 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.