Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in China
China: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) was 0.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in China, 1979–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net inflows in China is 0.4%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 80.2% on the previous year and down 80.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in China peaked at 6.2% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1979.
China ranks 165th of 201 countries 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 (% of GDP) in China, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 0.0% | — |
| 1980 | 0.0% | +66345.1% |
| 1981 | 0.1% | +353.7% |
| 1982 | 0.2% | +54.9% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | +31.5% |
| 1984 | 0.5% | +75.5% |
| 1985 | 0.5% | +10.8% |
| 1986 | 0.6% | +16.3% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | +36.0% |
| 1988 | 1.0% | +20.6% |
| 1989 | 1.0% | -4.6% |
| 1990 | 1.0% | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 1.1% | +17.7% |
| 1992 | 2.6% | +129.3% |
| 1993 | 6.2% | +136.7% |
| 1994 | 6.0% | -3.3% |
| 1995 | 4.9% | -18.5% |
| 1996 | 4.6% | -4.7% |
| 1997 | 4.7% | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 4.4% | -6.3% |
| 1999 | 3.7% | -15.6% |
| 2000 | 3.4% | -7.4% |
| 2001 | 3.5% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 3.6% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 3.4% | -3.5% |
| 2004 | 3.4% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 4.5% | +30.9% |
| 2006 | 4.4% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 4.3% | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 3.7% | -15.2% |
| 2009 | 2.5% | -31.3% |
| 2010 | 3.9% | +55.8% |
| 2011 | 3.7% | -7.2% |
| 2012 | 2.8% | -23.8% |
| 2013 | 3.0% | +7.4% |
| 2014 | 2.5% | -15.9% |
| 2015 | 2.1% | -14.4% |
| 2016 | 1.5% | -29.0% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | -13.2% |
| 2018 | 1.7% | +25.6% |
| 2019 | 1.3% | -22.7% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | +31.3% |
| 2021 | 1.9% | +12.0% |
| 2022 | 1.0% | -45.1% |
| 2023 | 0.3% | -72.9% |
| 2024 | 0.2% | -19.0% |
| 2025 | 0.4% | +80.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.4% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.3%, 18% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 0.4% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.1%, 19% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in China 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 | +66345.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1981 | +353.7% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1980s | 0.5% | 0.0% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.9% | 1.0% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.7% | 2.5% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.4% | 1.3% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9% | 0.2% | 1.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More economy & growth data for China
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.46 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.31 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.95 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0029 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 39.69 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 0.8948 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0021 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 28.98 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 1.91 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0016 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in China?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in China was 0.4% 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 6.2% in 1993.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1979.
- How does China rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- China ranks 165th out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 80.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China 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 — 47 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.