Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 6.95 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 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$.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 6.95 billion BoP, current US$ for foreign direct investment, net inflows in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 84.0% on the previous year and down 84.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 70.83 billion BoP, current US$ in 2021 and was at its lowest, 255.53 million BoP, current US$, in 1980.
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 38th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 829.17 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 715.17 million BoP, current US$ | -13.7% |
| 1972 | 695.55 million BoP, current US$ | -2.7% |
| 1973 | 818.97 million BoP, current US$ | +17.7% |
| 1974 | 1.42 billion BoP, current US$ | +73.0% |
| 1975 | 1.29 billion BoP, current US$ | -9.2% |
| 1976 | 1.02 billion BoP, current US$ | -20.9% |
| 1977 | 845.89 million BoP, current US$ | -16.8% |
| 1978 | 919.84 million BoP, current US$ | +8.7% |
| 1979 | 773.36 million BoP, current US$ | -15.9% |
| 1980 | 255.53 million BoP, current US$ | -67.0% |
| 1981 | 1.55 billion BoP, current US$ | +504.6% |
| 1982 | 1.46 billion BoP, current US$ | -5.5% |
| 1983 | 854.46 million BoP, current US$ | -41.5% |
| 1984 | 937.81 million BoP, current US$ | +9.8% |
| 1985 | 1.00 billion BoP, current US$ | +6.6% |
| 1986 | 615.48 million BoP, current US$ | -38.5% |
| 1987 | 1.32 billion BoP, current US$ | +114.1% |
| 1988 | 1.51 billion BoP, current US$ | +14.6% |
| 1989 | 2.97 billion BoP, current US$ | +96.6% |
| 1990 | 1.17 billion BoP, current US$ | -60.5% |
| 1991 | 2.09 billion BoP, current US$ | +77.7% |
| 1992 | 1.87 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.5% |
| 1993 | 2.60 billion BoP, current US$ | +39.1% |
| 1994 | 3.58 billion BoP, current US$ | +37.7% |
| 1995 | 3.61 billion BoP, current US$ | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 3.27 billion BoP, current US$ | -9.4% |
| 1997 | 7.38 billion BoP, current US$ | +125.7% |
| 1998 | 6.02 billion BoP, current US$ | -18.4% |
| 1999 | 8.65 billion BoP, current US$ | +43.6% |
| 2000 | 6.88 billion BoP, current US$ | -20.5% |
| 2001 | 15.43 billion BoP, current US$ | +124.4% |
| 2002 | 10.87 billion BoP, current US$ | -29.5% |
| 2003 | 13.82 billion BoP, current US$ | +27.1% |
| 2004 | 12.63 billion BoP, current US$ | -8.6% |
| 2005 | 19.61 billion BoP, current US$ | +55.2% |
| 2006 | 16.44 billion BoP, current US$ | -16.2% |
| 2007 | 29.15 billion BoP, current US$ | +77.4% |
| 2008 | 38.80 billion BoP, current US$ | +33.1% |
| 2009 | 36.64 billion BoP, current US$ | -5.6% |
| 2010 | 32.81 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.5% |
| 2011 | 42.04 billion BoP, current US$ | +28.1% |
| 2012 | 45.55 billion BoP, current US$ | +8.3% |
| 2013 | 40.69 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.7% |
| 2014 | 44.29 billion BoP, current US$ | +8.8% |
| 2015 | 45.24 billion BoP, current US$ | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 32.31 billion BoP, current US$ | -28.6% |
| 2017 | 27.92 billion BoP, current US$ | -13.6% |
| 2018 | 28.18 billion BoP, current US$ | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 27.53 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 23.25 billion BoP, current US$ | -15.5% |
| 2021 | 70.83 billion BoP, current US$ | +204.6% |
| 2022 | 36.67 billion BoP, current US$ | -48.2% |
| 2023 | 42.45 billion BoP, current US$ | +15.8% |
| 2024 | 43.49 billion BoP, current US$ | +2.4% |
| 2025 | 6.95 billion BoP, current US$ | -84.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 931.73 million BoP, current US$ | 695.55 million BoP, current US$ | 1.42 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.25 billion BoP, current US$ | 255.53 million BoP, current US$ | 2.97 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.02 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.17 billion BoP, current US$ | 8.65 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.03 billion BoP, current US$ | 6.88 billion BoP, current US$ | 38.80 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.65 billion BoP, current US$ | 27.53 billion BoP, current US$ | 45.55 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.28 billion BoP, current US$ | 6.95 billion BoP, current US$ | 70.83 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 35 Cyprus 11.16 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 36 Czechia 10.50 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 37 Peru 10.35 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 38 Romania 9.37 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 39 Guyana 8.63 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 40 Philippines 7.79 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 41 Greece 6.74 billion BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 4.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services 27.9% (2025)
- External balance on goods and services -0.0% (2025)
- Trade 55.7% (2024)
- GDP (current US$), per capita 1,673 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 379.88 billion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 4.7% (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added 4.1% (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added 478.12 billion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added 554.02 billion current US$ (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 6.95 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 70.83 billion BoP, current US$ in 2021.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 255.53 million BoP, current US$ in 1980.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 38th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 84.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 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 — 56 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.