Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in El Salvador
El Salvador: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) was 763.72 million BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in El Salvador, 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$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net inflows in El Salvador is 763.72 million BoP, current US$, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 27.3% on the previous year and up 54.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in El Salvador peaked at 1.55 billion BoP, current US$ in 2007 and was at its lowest, -113.16 million BoP, current US$, in 2010.
El Salvador ranks 111th of 204 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.70 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 7.00 million BoP, current US$ | +89.2% |
| 1972 | 6.60 million BoP, current US$ | -5.7% |
| 1973 | 6.00 million BoP, current US$ | -9.1% |
| 1974 | 20.10 million BoP, current US$ | +235.0% |
| 1975 | 13.10 million BoP, current US$ | -34.8% |
| 1976 | 12.96 million BoP, current US$ | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 18.64 million BoP, current US$ | +43.8% |
| 1978 | 23.36 million BoP, current US$ | +25.3% |
| 1979 | -9.96 million BoP, current US$ | -142.6% |
| 1980 | 5.88 million BoP, current US$ | -159.0% |
| 1981 | -5.72 million BoP, current US$ | -197.3% |
| 1982 | -1.00 million BoP, current US$ | -82.5% |
| 1983 | 28.08 million BoP, current US$ | -2908.0% |
| 1984 | 12.36 million BoP, current US$ | -56.0% |
| 1985 | 12.40 million BoP, current US$ | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 24.13 million BoP, current US$ | +94.6% |
| 1987 | 18.32 million BoP, current US$ | -24.1% |
| 1988 | 16.96 million BoP, current US$ | -7.4% |
| 1989 | 14.36 million BoP, current US$ | -15.3% |
| 1990 | 1.90 million BoP, current US$ | -86.8% |
| 1991 | 25.18 million BoP, current US$ | +1226.5% |
| 1992 | 15.31 million BoP, current US$ | -39.2% |
| 1993 | 16.43 million BoP, current US$ | +7.3% |
| 1995 | 38.04 million BoP, current US$ | +131.5% |
| 1997 | 59.04 million BoP, current US$ | +55.2% |
| 1998 | 1.10 billion BoP, current US$ | +1767.6% |
| 1999 | 215.80 million BoP, current US$ | -80.4% |
| 2000 | 173.40 million BoP, current US$ | -19.6% |
| 2001 | 278.90 million BoP, current US$ | +60.8% |
| 2002 | 470.00 million BoP, current US$ | +68.5% |
| 2003 | 141.20 million BoP, current US$ | -70.0% |
| 2004 | 363.27 million BoP, current US$ | +157.3% |
| 2005 | 511.14 million BoP, current US$ | +40.7% |
| 2006 | 241.13 million BoP, current US$ | -52.8% |
| 2007 | 1.55 billion BoP, current US$ | +543.0% |
| 2008 | 903.05 million BoP, current US$ | -41.8% |
| 2009 | 368.73 million BoP, current US$ | -59.2% |
| 2010 | -113.16 million BoP, current US$ | -130.7% |
| 2011 | 122.50 million BoP, current US$ | -208.3% |
| 2012 | 430.13 million BoP, current US$ | +251.1% |
| 2013 | 245.18 million BoP, current US$ | -43.0% |
| 2014 | 506.30 million BoP, current US$ | +106.5% |
| 2015 | 494.54 million BoP, current US$ | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 479.47 million BoP, current US$ | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 503.80 million BoP, current US$ | +5.1% |
| 2018 | 412.74 million BoP, current US$ | -18.1% |
| 2019 | 696.29 million BoP, current US$ | +68.7% |
| 2020 | 386.53 million BoP, current US$ | -44.5% |
| 2021 | 800.44 million BoP, current US$ | +107.1% |
| 2022 | 26.24 million BoP, current US$ | -96.7% |
| 2023 | 778.28 million BoP, current US$ | +2866.6% |
| 2024 | 1.05 billion BoP, current US$ | +35.0% |
| 2025 | 763.72 million BoP, current US$ | -27.3% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 763.72 million BoP, current US$ is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 854.27 million BoP, current US$, 89% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 763.72 million BoP, current US$ is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 938.47 million BoP, current US$, 81% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in El Salvador 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | +2908.0% | -1.00 million BoP, current US$ | 28.08 million BoP, current US$ |
| 2023 | +2866.6% | 26.24 million BoP, current US$ | 778.28 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1998 | +1767.6% | 59.04 million BoP, current US$ | 1.10 billion BoP, current US$ |
| 1991 | +1226.5% | 1.90 million BoP, current US$ | 25.18 million BoP, current US$ |
| 2007 | +543.0% | 241.13 million BoP, current US$ | 1.55 billion BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 10.15 million BoP, current US$ | -9.96 million BoP, current US$ | 23.36 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.58 million BoP, current US$ | -5.72 million BoP, current US$ | 28.08 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 184.30 million BoP, current US$ | 1.90 million BoP, current US$ | 1.10 billion BoP, current US$ | 8 |
| 2000s | 500.13 million BoP, current US$ | 141.20 million BoP, current US$ | 1.55 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 377.78 million BoP, current US$ | -113.16 million BoP, current US$ | 696.29 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 634.37 million BoP, current US$ | 26.24 million BoP, current US$ | 1.05 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
- 108 Bahrain 821.17 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 109 Mauritius 804.43 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 110 Syria 804.16 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 112 Armenia 708.03 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 113 Turkmenistan 701.43 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 114 Montenegro 676.19 million BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for El Salvador
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.92 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.3 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 3.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0058 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 33.72 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -1.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0043 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 24.62 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 34.42 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0171 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in El Salvador?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in El Salvador was 763.72 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 El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 1.55 billion BoP, current US$ in 2007.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was -113.16 million BoP, current US$ in 2010.
- How does El Salvador rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- El Salvador ranks 111th out of 204 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 54.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this El Salvador 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.