Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per square in China
China: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per square was 5,468 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per square in China, 1979–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in BoP, current US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square in China is 5,468 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 73.0% on the previous year and down 82.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square in China peaked at 36,650 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.0085 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre, in 1979.
That places China 107th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per square in China, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 0.0085 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1980 | 6.07 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +71150.0% |
| 1981 | 28.23 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +364.9% |
| 1982 | 45.8 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +62.3% |
| 1983 | 67.74 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +47.9% |
| 1984 | 134 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +97.8% |
| 1985 | 176.71 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +31.9% |
| 1986 | 199.72 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +13.0% |
| 1987 | 246.48 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +23.4% |
| 1988 | 340.21 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +38.0% |
| 1989 | 361.41 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +6.2% |
| 1990 | 371.42 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 465.05 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +25.2% |
| 1992 | 1,188 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +155.5% |
| 1993 | 2,931 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +146.6% |
| 1994 | 3,599 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +22.8% |
| 1995 | 3,819 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 1996 | 4,280 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +12.1% |
| 1997 | 4,840 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +13.1% |
| 1998 | 4,862 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 4,369 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -10.1% |
| 2000 | 4,484 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 5,012 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +11.8% |
| 2002 | 5,653 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +12.8% |
| 2003 | 6,167 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +9.1% |
| 2004 | 7,256 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +17.6% |
| 2005 | 11,089 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +52.8% |
| 2006 | 13,217 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +19.2% |
| 2007 | 16,643 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +25.9% |
| 2008 | 18,271 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +9.8% |
| 2009 | 13,960 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -23.6% |
| 2010 | 25,958 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +86.0% |
| 2011 | 29,832 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +14.9% |
| 2012 | 25,693 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -13.9% |
| 2013 | 30,989 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +20.6% |
| 2014 | 28,557 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -7.8% |
| 2015 | 25,829 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -9.6% |
| 2016 | 18,614 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -27.9% |
| 2017 | 17,691 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -5.0% |
| 2018 | 25,070 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +41.7% |
| 2019 | 19,937 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -20.5% |
| 2020 | 26,959 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +35.2% |
| 2021 | 36,650 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +35.9% |
| 2022 | 20,260 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -44.7% |
| 2023 | 5,468 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -73.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 5,468 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 11,455 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre, 48% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- China's 5,468 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 9,800 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre, 56% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per square in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +71150.0% | 0.0085 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 6.07 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre |
| 1981 | +364.9% | 6.07 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 28.23 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0085 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 0.0085 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 0.0085 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 1 |
| 1980s | 160.64 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 6.07 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 361.41 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,072 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 371.42 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 4,862 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 10,175 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 4,484 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 18,271 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 24,817 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 17,691 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 30,989 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 22,334 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 5,468 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 36,650 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 104 Djibouti 5,911 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 105 Ghana 5,798 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 106 Tuvalu 5,543 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 108 Guinea 5,351 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 109 Honduras 5,170 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 110 Equatorial Guinea 5,055 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
More economy & growth data for China
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.46 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.31 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 157.21 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0081 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 111.77 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 79.98 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 87.54 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0041 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 56.86 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 8.47 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square in China?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square in China was 5,468 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 36,650 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2021.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0085 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 1979.
- How does China rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square?
- China ranks 107th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows (bop, current us$), per square rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 82.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.