Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Arab World
Arab World: Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 2.5% 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 2.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 31.6% on the previous year and up 194.1% 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 11th of 47 groups 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 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% | +25.8% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | -19.7% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | +5.2% |
| 2021 | 2.3% | +75.9% |
| 2022 | 2.1% | -7.9% |
| 2023 | 2.5% | +18.5% |
| 2024 | 3.6% | +48.2% |
| 2025 | 2.5% | -31.6% |
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 | 2.4% | 1.3% | 3.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Arab World
- 8 Palau 21.5% compare
- 9 Mozambique 15.4% compare
- 10 Namibia 14.2% compare
- 11 Timor-Leste 13.3% compare
- 12 Mauritania 13.2% compare
- 13 Antigua and Barbuda 12.1% compare
- 14 Grenada 12.0% compare
More economy & growth data for Arab World
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), annual growth rate -4.58 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (current US$), per capita 7,544 current US$ per person (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 3.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.8488 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per capita 6,404 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), per capita 2,205 current US$ per person (2025)
- GNI, Atlas method (current US$), per unit of GDP 1.03 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GNI, Atlas method (current US$), annual growth rate 3.86 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (current US$), annual growth rate 1.4 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2923 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Arab World?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Arab World was 2.5% 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 11th 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 194.1%. 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.
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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.