Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Arab World
Arab World: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) was 2.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Arab World, 1970–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Arab World stood at 2.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 43.6% on the previous year and up 131.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Arab World peaked at 4.0% in 2006 and was at its lowest, -2.3%, in 1974.
Arab World ranks 18th 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 (% of GDP) in Arab World, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.2% | — |
| 1971 | 0.1% | -90.6% |
| 1972 | 0.5% | +310.4% |
| 1973 | -0.9% | -295.5% |
| 1974 | -2.3% | +154.5% |
| 1975 | 0.9% | -139.1% |
| 1976 | 0.2% | -78.3% |
| 1977 | 0.4% | +99.0% |
| 1978 | 0.2% | -36.9% |
| 1979 | -0.0% | -116.1% |
| 1980 | -0.7% | +1607.6% |
| 1981 | 1.5% | -318.3% |
| 1982 | 2.6% | +77.5% |
| 1983 | 1.3% | -49.4% |
| 1984 | 1.5% | +10.1% |
| 1985 | 0.5% | -67.2% |
| 1986 | 0.6% | +23.1% |
| 1987 | 0.0% | -99.6% |
| 1988 | 0.4% | +14698.5% |
| 1989 | 0.3% | -24.3% |
| 1990 | 0.5% | +62.5% |
| 1991 | 0.5% | -4.6% |
| 1992 | 0.7% | +63.8% |
| 1993 | 0.9% | +21.7% |
| 1994 | 1.0% | +8.6% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | -94.1% |
| 1996 | 0.6% | +1003.0% |
| 1997 | 1.5% | +127.6% |
| 1998 | 1.6% | +10.3% |
| 1999 | 0.5% | -71.5% |
| 2000 | 0.5% | +9.7% |
| 2001 | 1.2% | +137.6% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | -31.0% |
| 2003 | 1.8% | +113.2% |
| 2004 | 2.2% | +23.1% |
| 2005 | 3.2% | +46.3% |
| 2006 | 4.0% | +25.3% |
| 2007 | 3.8% | -4.2% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | -32.1% |
| 2009 | 2.2% | -14.1% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | -5.0% |
| 2011 | 1.3% | -37.6% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | +17.7% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | -19.4% |
| 2014 | 0.9% | -31.3% |
| 2015 | 0.8% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 1.9% | +124.3% |
| 2017 | 1.2% | -36.5% |
| 2018 | 1.5% | +26.6% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | -20.2% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | +5.2% |
| 2021 | 2.3% | +75.9% |
| 2022 | 2.1% | -7.9% |
| 2023 | 2.4% | +17.9% |
| 2024 | 3.5% | +42.2% |
| 2025 | 2.0% | -43.6% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Arab World 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | +14698.5% | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| 1980 | -1607.6% | -0.0% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | +1003.0% | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | -2.3% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.8% | -0.7% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8% | 0.1% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.2% | 0.5% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4% | 0.8% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 1.3% | 3.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Arab World
- 15 Mongolia 10.8% compare
- 16 Gambia 10.6% compare
- 17 Sao Tome and Principe 10.5% compare
- 18 Ireland 10.4% compare
- 19 Kosovo 10.0% compare
- 19 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 10.0% compare
- 21 Seychelles 10.0% compare
More economy & growth data for Arab World
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 109.61 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 5.2 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 1,228 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.1627 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) -0.4924 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 1,308 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.1733 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) 0.6095 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0092 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 69.31 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Arab World?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Arab World was 2.0% in 2025, 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 Arab World?
- The highest recorded value was 4.0% in 2006.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Arab World?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.3% in 1974.
- How does Arab World rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Arab World ranks 18th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Arab World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 131.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Arab World 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 — 56 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.