Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 2.1% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1970–2024
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Africa Eastern and Southern recorded 2.1% for foreign direct investment, net inflows in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.2% on the previous year and down 22.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 4.9% in 2021 and was at its lowest, -0.0%, in 1979.
Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 20th of 47 groups 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 in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.0% | — |
| 1971 | 0.8% | -25.8% |
| 1972 | 0.4% | -44.8% |
| 1973 | 0.3% | -39.7% |
| 1974 | 1.1% | +345.4% |
| 1975 | 0.4% | -69.0% |
| 1976 | 0.5% | +43.7% |
| 1977 | 0.1% | -87.7% |
| 1978 | 0.1% | +119.5% |
| 1979 | -0.0% | -108.8% |
| 1980 | 0.3% | -2443.4% |
| 1981 | 0.2% | -25.3% |
| 1982 | 0.3% | +61.8% |
| 1983 | 0.0% | -86.1% |
| 1984 | 0.4% | +684.0% |
| 1985 | 0.1% | -80.2% |
| 1986 | 0.3% | +259.0% |
| 1987 | 0.1% | -43.6% |
| 1988 | 0.3% | +78.4% |
| 1989 | 0.2% | -29.9% |
| 1990 | 0.0% | -80.2% |
| 1991 | 0.5% | +1145.0% |
| 1992 | 0.3% | -40.1% |
| 1993 | 0.4% | +29.3% |
| 1994 | 0.5% | +39.5% |
| 1995 | 1.0% | +100.0% |
| 1996 | 0.8% | -21.6% |
| 1997 | 2.0% | +161.6% |
| 1998 | 1.6% | -23.2% |
| 1999 | 2.4% | +53.2% |
| 2000 | 1.5% | -36.2% |
| 2001 | 4.8% | +211.3% |
| 2002 | 2.5% | -48.6% |
| 2003 | 2.4% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 1.8% | -25.3% |
| 2005 | 2.0% | +10.7% |
| 2006 | 1.3% | -37.8% |
| 2007 | 2.4% | +94.0% |
| 2008 | 3.2% | +29.5% |
| 2009 | 2.6% | -18.1% |
| 2010 | 1.6% | -36.6% |
| 2011 | 1.9% | +13.1% |
| 2012 | 2.5% | +37.1% |
| 2013 | 2.2% | -13.7% |
| 2014 | 2.8% | +26.3% |
| 2015 | 3.2% | +13.6% |
| 2016 | 2.0% | -36.2% |
| 2017 | 1.0% | -48.3% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | +24.7% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | +14.3% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | -4.0% |
| 2021 | 4.9% | +246.0% |
| 2022 | 1.7% | -65.0% |
| 2023 | 2.0% | +14.0% |
| 2024 | 2.1% | +9.2% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Africa Eastern and Southern 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +2443.4% | -0.0% | 0.3% |
| 1991 | +1145.0% | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| 1984 | +684.0% | 0.0% | 0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.5% | -0.0% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9% | 0.0% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.4% | 1.3% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 1.0% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 1.4% | 4.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
More economy & growth data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.1486 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 4.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 1,159 current US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 0.6726 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 6.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 226.14 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.1313 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 3.39 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 255.93 current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0029 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Africa Eastern and Southern was 2.1% in 2024, according to International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 4.9% in 2021.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.0% in 1979.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 20th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Foreign direct investment is the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest (10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in the balance of payments. This series shows net inflows (new investment inflows less disinvestment) in the reporting economy from foreign investors, and is divided by GDP.