Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in Cameroon
Cameroon: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) was 598.95 million BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Cameroon, 1970–2025
Source: 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. Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Cameroon stood at 598.95 million BoP, current US$.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 32.6% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Cameroon peaked at 1.02 billion BoP, current US$ in 2019 and was at its lowest, -112.83 million BoP, current US$, in 1990.
Cameroon ranks 118th of 204 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 16.00 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 1.70 million BoP, current US$ | -89.4% |
| 1972 | 3.30 million BoP, current US$ | +94.1% |
| 1973 | 3.10 million BoP, current US$ | -6.1% |
| 1974 | 21.60 million BoP, current US$ | +596.8% |
| 1975 | 27.10 million BoP, current US$ | +25.5% |
| 1976 | 16.40 million BoP, current US$ | -39.5% |
| 1977 | 8.71 million BoP, current US$ | -46.9% |
| 1978 | 40.55 million BoP, current US$ | +365.5% |
| 1979 | 62.10 million BoP, current US$ | +53.1% |
| 1980 | 129.83 million BoP, current US$ | +109.1% |
| 1981 | 135.39 million BoP, current US$ | +4.3% |
| 1982 | 111.44 million BoP, current US$ | -17.7% |
| 1983 | 213.82 million BoP, current US$ | +91.9% |
| 1984 | 17.67 million BoP, current US$ | -91.7% |
| 1985 | 316.23 million BoP, current US$ | +1689.9% |
| 1986 | -90.70 million BoP, current US$ | -128.7% |
| 1987 | 115.93 million BoP, current US$ | -227.8% |
| 1988 | 92.36 million BoP, current US$ | -20.3% |
| 1989 | -85.73 million BoP, current US$ | -192.8% |
| 1990 | -112.83 million BoP, current US$ | +31.6% |
| 1991 | -14.50 million BoP, current US$ | -87.2% |
| 1992 | 29.20 million BoP, current US$ | -301.4% |
| 1993 | 5.12 million BoP, current US$ | -82.5% |
| 1994 | 3.67 million BoP, current US$ | -28.2% |
| 1995 | 15.11 million BoP, current US$ | +311.1% |
| 1996 | 104.42 million BoP, current US$ | +591.2% |
| 1997 | 149.61 million BoP, current US$ | +43.3% |
| 1998 | 55.23 million BoP, current US$ | -63.1% |
| 1999 | 35.01 million BoP, current US$ | -36.6% |
| 2000 | 159.71 million BoP, current US$ | +356.2% |
| 2001 | -11.67 million BoP, current US$ | -107.3% |
| 2002 | 505.26 million BoP, current US$ | -4430.1% |
| 2003 | 334.89 million BoP, current US$ | -33.7% |
| 2004 | 67.98 million BoP, current US$ | -79.7% |
| 2005 | 243.60 million BoP, current US$ | +258.3% |
| 2006 | 59.12 million BoP, current US$ | -75.7% |
| 2007 | 189.58 million BoP, current US$ | +220.7% |
| 2008 | 21.00 million BoP, current US$ | -88.9% |
| 2009 | 746.28 million BoP, current US$ | +3454.5% |
| 2010 | 536.26 million BoP, current US$ | -28.1% |
| 2011 | 653.27 million BoP, current US$ | +21.8% |
| 2012 | 527.36 million BoP, current US$ | -19.3% |
| 2013 | 547.40 million BoP, current US$ | +3.8% |
| 2014 | 725.86 million BoP, current US$ | +32.6% |
| 2015 | 694.34 million BoP, current US$ | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 663.89 million BoP, current US$ | -4.4% |
| 2017 | 814.46 million BoP, current US$ | +22.7% |
| 2018 | 765.09 million BoP, current US$ | -6.1% |
| 2019 | 1.02 billion BoP, current US$ | +33.9% |
| 2020 | 675.19 million BoP, current US$ | -34.1% |
| 2021 | 963.53 million BoP, current US$ | +42.7% |
| 2022 | 925.68 million BoP, current US$ | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 821.55 million BoP, current US$ | -11.2% |
| 2024 | 888.22 million BoP, current US$ | +8.1% |
| 2025 | 598.95 million BoP, current US$ | -32.6% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 598.95 million BoP, current US$ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 642.40 million BoP, current US$, 93% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 598.95 million BoP, current US$ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 490.83 million BoP, current US$, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in Cameroon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +4430.1% | -11.67 million BoP, current US$ | 505.26 million BoP, current US$ |
| 2009 | +3454.5% | 21.00 million BoP, current US$ | 746.28 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1985 | +1689.9% | 17.67 million BoP, current US$ | 316.23 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1974 | +596.8% | 3.10 million BoP, current US$ | 21.60 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1996 | +591.2% | 15.11 million BoP, current US$ | 104.42 million BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 20.06 million BoP, current US$ | 1.70 million BoP, current US$ | 62.10 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 95.62 million BoP, current US$ | -90.70 million BoP, current US$ | 316.23 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 27.00 million BoP, current US$ | -112.83 million BoP, current US$ | 149.61 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 231.57 million BoP, current US$ | -11.67 million BoP, current US$ | 746.28 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 695.27 million BoP, current US$ | 527.36 million BoP, current US$ | 1.02 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 812.19 million BoP, current US$ | 598.95 million BoP, current US$ | 963.53 million BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 115 North Macedonia 675.78 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 116 Kyrgyzstan 642.40 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 117 Mauritania 634.08 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 119 Congo 596.29 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 120 Malawi 530.14 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 121 Bolivia 526.76 million BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Cameroon
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.05 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.53 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -0.6569 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 0.7283 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -5.4 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 0.5318 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 17.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0156 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Cameroon?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Cameroon was 598.95 million BoP, current US$ in 2025, according to 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.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 1.02 billion BoP, current US$ in 2019.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was -112.83 million BoP, current US$ in 1990.
- How does Cameroon rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Cameroon ranks 118th out of 204 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from 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, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Foreign direct investment refers to direct investment equity flows in the reporting economy. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, and other capital. Direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the ordinary shares of voting stock is the criterion for determining the existence of a direct investment relationship. Data are in current U.S. dollars.