Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) was 21.62 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Malaysia, 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$.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 21.62 billion BoP, current US$ for foreign direct investment, net inflows in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 22.0% on the previous year and up 119.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Malaysia peaked at 21.62 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025 and was at its lowest, 94.00 million BoP, current US$, in 1970.
Malaysia ranks 23rd of 204 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 94.00 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 100.00 million BoP, current US$ | +6.4% |
| 1972 | 114.00 million BoP, current US$ | +14.0% |
| 1973 | 172.00 million BoP, current US$ | +50.9% |
| 1974 | 570.82 million BoP, current US$ | +231.9% |
| 1975 | 350.49 million BoP, current US$ | -38.6% |
| 1976 | 381.26 million BoP, current US$ | +8.8% |
| 1977 | 405.89 million BoP, current US$ | +6.5% |
| 1978 | 499.99 million BoP, current US$ | +23.2% |
| 1979 | 573.47 million BoP, current US$ | +14.7% |
| 1980 | 933.90 million BoP, current US$ | +62.9% |
| 1981 | 1.26 billion BoP, current US$ | +35.4% |
| 1982 | 1.40 billion BoP, current US$ | +10.5% |
| 1983 | 1.26 billion BoP, current US$ | -9.8% |
| 1984 | 797.48 million BoP, current US$ | -36.7% |
| 1985 | 694.71 million BoP, current US$ | -12.9% |
| 1986 | 488.87 million BoP, current US$ | -29.6% |
| 1987 | 422.68 million BoP, current US$ | -13.5% |
| 1988 | 719.42 million BoP, current US$ | +70.2% |
| 1989 | 1.67 billion BoP, current US$ | +131.8% |
| 1990 | 2.33 billion BoP, current US$ | +39.8% |
| 1991 | 4.00 billion BoP, current US$ | +71.4% |
| 1992 | 5.18 billion BoP, current US$ | +29.6% |
| 1993 | 5.01 billion BoP, current US$ | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 4.34 billion BoP, current US$ | -13.3% |
| 1995 | 4.18 billion BoP, current US$ | -3.8% |
| 1996 | 5.08 billion BoP, current US$ | +21.5% |
| 1997 | 5.14 billion BoP, current US$ | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 2.16 billion BoP, current US$ | -57.9% |
| 1999 | 3.90 billion BoP, current US$ | +80.1% |
| 2000 | 3.79 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.8% |
| 2001 | 553.95 million BoP, current US$ | -85.4% |
| 2002 | 3.19 billion BoP, current US$ | +476.4% |
| 2003 | 3.22 billion BoP, current US$ | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 4.38 billion BoP, current US$ | +35.9% |
| 2005 | 3.92 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.3% |
| 2006 | 7.69 billion BoP, current US$ | +96.0% |
| 2007 | 9.07 billion BoP, current US$ | +18.0% |
| 2008 | 7.57 billion BoP, current US$ | -16.5% |
| 2009 | 114.66 million BoP, current US$ | -98.5% |
| 2010 | 10.89 billion BoP, current US$ | +9393.7% |
| 2011 | 15.12 billion BoP, current US$ | +38.9% |
| 2012 | 8.90 billion BoP, current US$ | -41.2% |
| 2013 | 11.30 billion BoP, current US$ | +27.0% |
| 2014 | 10.62 billion BoP, current US$ | -6.0% |
| 2015 | 9.86 billion BoP, current US$ | -7.2% |
| 2016 | 13.47 billion BoP, current US$ | +36.7% |
| 2017 | 9.37 billion BoP, current US$ | -30.4% |
| 2018 | 8.30 billion BoP, current US$ | -11.4% |
| 2019 | 9.15 billion BoP, current US$ | +10.2% |
| 2020 | 4.06 billion BoP, current US$ | -55.7% |
| 2021 | 20.25 billion BoP, current US$ | +398.8% |
| 2022 | 15.03 billion BoP, current US$ | -25.8% |
| 2023 | 9.65 billion BoP, current US$ | -35.8% |
| 2024 | 17.72 billion BoP, current US$ | +83.6% |
| 2025 | 21.62 billion BoP, current US$ | +22.0% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 21.62 billion BoP, current US$ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 854.27 million BoP, current US$, 25.3× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 21.62 billion BoP, current US$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.07 billion BoP, current US$, 20.3× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) in Malaysia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | +9393.7% | 114.66 million BoP, current US$ | 10.89 billion BoP, current US$ |
| 2002 | +476.4% | 553.95 million BoP, current US$ | 3.19 billion BoP, current US$ |
| 2021 | +398.8% | 4.06 billion BoP, current US$ | 20.25 billion BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 326.19 million BoP, current US$ | 94.00 million BoP, current US$ | 573.47 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 964.74 million BoP, current US$ | 422.68 million BoP, current US$ | 1.67 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.13 billion BoP, current US$ | 2.16 billion BoP, current US$ | 5.18 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.35 billion BoP, current US$ | 114.66 million BoP, current US$ | 9.07 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.70 billion BoP, current US$ | 8.30 billion BoP, current US$ | 15.12 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.72 billion BoP, current US$ | 4.06 billion BoP, current US$ | 21.62 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More economy & growth data for Malaysia
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 1.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.04 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.97 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.32 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0126 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 165.93 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 0.291 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0092 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 121.16 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.7 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Malaysia?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Malaysia was 21.62 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 21.62 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 94.00 million BoP, current US$ in 1970.
- How does Malaysia rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Malaysia ranks 23rd out of 204 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 119.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.