Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in Iraq
Iraq: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) was -7.62 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Iraq, 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$.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Iraq stood at -7.62 billion BoP, current US$.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Iraq peaked at 3.40 billion BoP, current US$ in 2012 and was at its lowest, -10.18 billion BoP, current US$, in 2014.
That places Iraq 199th out of 204 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in Iraq, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | -910,000 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | -180,000 BoP, current US$ | -80.2% |
| 1972 | -90,000 BoP, current US$ | -50.0% |
| 1973 | -6.55 million BoP, current US$ | +7177.8% |
| 1974 | -8.83 million BoP, current US$ | +34.8% |
| 1975 | -44.92 million BoP, current US$ | +408.7% |
| 1976 | 1.35 million BoP, current US$ | -103.0% |
| 1977 | 4.39 million BoP, current US$ | +225.2% |
| 1978 | 300,000 BoP, current US$ | -93.2% |
| 1979 | 1.61 million BoP, current US$ | +436.7% |
| 1980 | 1.53 million BoP, current US$ | -5.0% |
| 1981 | 4.12 million BoP, current US$ | +169.3% |
| 1982 | 2.42 million BoP, current US$ | -41.3% |
| 1983 | -234,000 BoP, current US$ | -109.7% |
| 1984 | -2.75 million BoP, current US$ | +1074.8% |
| 1985 | -1.16 million BoP, current US$ | -57.8% |
| 1986 | 918,000 BoP, current US$ | -179.1% |
| 1987 | -4.29 million BoP, current US$ | -567.4% |
| 1988 | -3.38 million BoP, current US$ | -21.2% |
| 1989 | 390,000 BoP, current US$ | -111.5% |
| 1990 | -6.81 million BoP, current US$ | -1846.2% |
| 1991 | 7.69 million BoP, current US$ | -212.9% |
| 1992 | 93,000 BoP, current US$ | -98.8% |
| 1993 | 803,000 BoP, current US$ | +763.4% |
| 1994 | -30,000 BoP, current US$ | -103.7% |
| 1996 | -1.99 million BoP, current US$ | +6546.7% |
| 1997 | 1.15 million BoP, current US$ | -157.8% |
| 1998 | 7.39 million BoP, current US$ | +540.8% |
| 2000 | -32,000 BoP, current US$ | -100.4% |
| 2001 | -6.66 million BoP, current US$ | +20700.0% |
| 2002 | -326,000 BoP, current US$ | -95.1% |
| 2003 | 1.00 billion BoP, current US$ | -306848.5% |
| 2004 | 300.00 million BoP, current US$ | -70.0% |
| 2005 | 515.30 million BoP, current US$ | +71.8% |
| 2006 | 383.00 million BoP, current US$ | -25.7% |
| 2007 | 971.80 million BoP, current US$ | +153.7% |
| 2008 | 1.86 billion BoP, current US$ | +91.0% |
| 2009 | 1.60 billion BoP, current US$ | -13.9% |
| 2010 | 1.40 billion BoP, current US$ | -12.6% |
| 2011 | 2.08 billion BoP, current US$ | +49.1% |
| 2012 | 3.40 billion BoP, current US$ | +63.3% |
| 2013 | -2.34 billion BoP, current US$ | -168.7% |
| 2014 | -10.18 billion BoP, current US$ | +335.8% |
| 2015 | -7.57 billion BoP, current US$ | -25.6% |
| 2016 | -6.26 billion BoP, current US$ | -17.4% |
| 2017 | -5.03 billion BoP, current US$ | -19.6% |
| 2018 | -4.89 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.9% |
| 2019 | -3.08 billion BoP, current US$ | -37.0% |
| 2020 | -2.86 billion BoP, current US$ | -7.0% |
| 2021 | -2.64 billion BoP, current US$ | -7.8% |
| 2022 | -2.09 billion BoP, current US$ | -20.8% |
| 2023 | -5.36 billion BoP, current US$ | +156.8% |
| 2024 | -7.65 billion BoP, current US$ | +42.6% |
| 2025 | -7.62 billion BoP, current US$ | -0.4% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's -7.62 billion BoP, current US$ is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 854.27 million BoP, current US$. (58 countries reporting)
- Iraq's -7.62 billion BoP, current US$ is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.65 billion BoP, current US$. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in Iraq 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | +306848.5% | -326,000 BoP, current US$ | 1.00 billion BoP, current US$ |
| 2001 | -20700.0% | -32,000 BoP, current US$ | -6.66 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1973 | -7177.8% | -90,000 BoP, current US$ | -6.55 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1996 | -6546.7% | -30,000 BoP, current US$ | -1.99 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1990 | -1846.2% | 390,000 BoP, current US$ | -6.81 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1984 | -1074.8% | -234,000 BoP, current US$ | -2.75 million BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -5.38 million BoP, current US$ | -44.92 million BoP, current US$ | 4.39 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | -243,900 BoP, current US$ | -4.29 million BoP, current US$ | 4.12 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.04 million BoP, current US$ | -6.81 million BoP, current US$ | 7.69 million BoP, current US$ | 8 |
| 2000s | 661.71 million BoP, current US$ | -6.66 million BoP, current US$ | 1.86 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | -3.25 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.18 billion BoP, current US$ | 3.40 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | -4.70 billion BoP, current US$ | -7.65 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.09 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 196 Papua New Guinea -1.18 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 197 South Africa -2.16 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 198 Norway -7.08 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 200 Austria -11.68 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 201 Belgium -28.79 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 202 Luxembourg -33.06 billion BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Iraq
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -490.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.44 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.56 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 165.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0013 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 6.85 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 152.51 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0009 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 5 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Iraq?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Iraq was -7.62 billion 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 3.40 billion BoP, current US$ in 2012.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was -10.18 billion BoP, current US$ in 2014.
- How does Iraq rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Iraq ranks 199th out of 204 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iraq 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.