Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled in South Africa
South Africa: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled was -2.16 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled in South Africa, 1970–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), gaps filled in South Africa stood at -2.16 billion BoP, current US$. That is the lowest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 192.7% on the previous year and down 242.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), gaps filled in South Africa peaked at 40.66 billion BoP, current US$ in 2021 and was at its lowest, -2.16 billion BoP, current US$, in 2025.
That places South Africa 193rd out of 202 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled in South Africa, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 334.60 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 260.06 million BoP, current US$ | -22.3% |
| 1972 | 114.48 million BoP, current US$ | -56.0% |
| 1973 | 27.38 million BoP, current US$ | -76.1% |
| 1974 | 696.12 million BoP, current US$ | +2442.5% |
| 1975 | 187.96 million BoP, current US$ | -73.0% |
| 1976 | 18.40 million BoP, current US$ | -90.2% |
| 1977 | -121.90 million BoP, current US$ | -762.5% |
| 1978 | -109.25 million BoP, current US$ | -10.4% |
| 1979 | -484.55 million BoP, current US$ | +343.5% |
| 1980 | -10.30 million BoP, current US$ | -97.9% |
| 1981 | 65.00 million BoP, current US$ | -731.1% |
| 1982 | 329.70 million BoP, current US$ | +407.2% |
| 1983 | 70.90 million BoP, current US$ | -78.5% |
| 1984 | 419.50 million BoP, current US$ | +491.7% |
| 1985 | -452.64 million BoP, current US$ | -207.9% |
| 1986 | -50.49 million BoP, current US$ | -88.8% |
| 1987 | -191.67 million BoP, current US$ | +279.6% |
| 1988 | 158.44 million BoP, current US$ | -182.7% |
| 1989 | -201.21 million BoP, current US$ | -227.0% |
| 1990 | -75.72 million BoP, current US$ | -62.4% |
| 1991 | 254.13 million BoP, current US$ | -435.6% |
| 1992 | 3.36 million BoP, current US$ | -98.7% |
| 1993 | 11.29 million BoP, current US$ | +236.2% |
| 1994 | 374.41 million BoP, current US$ | +3216.2% |
| 1995 | 1.25 billion BoP, current US$ | +233.4% |
| 1996 | 816.39 million BoP, current US$ | -34.6% |
| 1997 | 3.81 billion BoP, current US$ | +366.8% |
| 1998 | 550.34 million BoP, current US$ | -85.6% |
| 1999 | 1.50 billion BoP, current US$ | +173.2% |
| 2000 | 968.83 million BoP, current US$ | -35.6% |
| 2001 | 7.27 billion BoP, current US$ | +650.4% |
| 2002 | 1.48 billion BoP, current US$ | -79.6% |
| 2003 | 783.14 million BoP, current US$ | -47.1% |
| 2004 | 701.42 million BoP, current US$ | -10.4% |
| 2005 | 6.52 billion BoP, current US$ | +829.8% |
| 2006 | 623.29 million BoP, current US$ | -90.4% |
| 2007 | 6.59 billion BoP, current US$ | +956.8% |
| 2008 | 9.88 billion BoP, current US$ | +50.1% |
| 2009 | 7.62 billion BoP, current US$ | -22.9% |
| 2010 | 3.69 billion BoP, current US$ | -51.6% |
| 2011 | 4.14 billion BoP, current US$ | +12.1% |
| 2012 | 4.63 billion BoP, current US$ | +11.8% |
| 2013 | 8.23 billion BoP, current US$ | +78.0% |
| 2014 | 5.79 billion BoP, current US$ | -29.6% |
| 2015 | 1.52 billion BoP, current US$ | -73.7% |
| 2016 | 2.22 billion BoP, current US$ | +45.6% |
| 2017 | 2.06 billion BoP, current US$ | -7.1% |
| 2018 | 5.57 billion BoP, current US$ | +170.5% |
| 2019 | 5.12 billion BoP, current US$ | -8.1% |
| 2020 | 3.15 billion BoP, current US$ | -38.4% |
| 2021 | 40.66 billion BoP, current US$ | +1189.3% |
| 2022 | 9.24 billion BoP, current US$ | -77.3% |
| 2023 | 3.86 billion BoP, current US$ | -58.2% |
| 2024 | 2.33 billion BoP, current US$ | -39.7% |
| 2025 | -2.16 billion BoP, current US$ | -192.7% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's -2.16 billion BoP, current US$ is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.14 billion BoP, current US$. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's -2.16 billion BoP, current US$ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 545.60 million BoP, current US$. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | +3216.2% | 11.29 million BoP, current US$ | 374.41 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1974 | +2442.5% | 27.38 million BoP, current US$ | 696.12 million BoP, current US$ |
| 2021 | +1189.3% | 3.15 billion BoP, current US$ | 40.66 billion BoP, current US$ |
| 2007 | +956.8% | 623.29 million BoP, current US$ | 6.59 billion BoP, current US$ |
| 2005 | +829.8% | 701.42 million BoP, current US$ | 6.52 billion BoP, current US$ |
| 1977 | -762.5% | 18.40 million BoP, current US$ | -121.90 million BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 92.33 million BoP, current US$ | -484.55 million BoP, current US$ | 696.12 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.72 million BoP, current US$ | -452.64 million BoP, current US$ | 419.50 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 849.65 million BoP, current US$ | -75.72 million BoP, current US$ | 3.81 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.24 billion BoP, current US$ | 623.29 million BoP, current US$ | 9.88 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.30 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.52 billion BoP, current US$ | 8.23 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.51 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.16 billion BoP, current US$ | 40.66 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 190 Trinidad and Tobago -794.39 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 191 Estonia -838.20 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 192 Kazakhstan -916.40 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 194 Iraq -7.65 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 195 Norway -7.82 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 196 Austria -11.68 billion BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for South Africa
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.4836 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.87 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0145 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 95.75 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 1.77 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0106 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 69.91 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate -28.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0077 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), gaps filled in South Africa?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), gaps filled in South Africa was -2.16 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), gaps filled recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 40.66 billion BoP, current US$ in 2021.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), gaps filled recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.16 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025.
- How does South Africa rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), gaps filled?
- South Africa ranks 193rd out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), gaps filled rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 242.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) with 62 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.
Computed from
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) with 62 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.