Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) was 2.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Democratic Republic of Congo, 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 Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 2.1%.
That represents a change of down 46.7% on the previous year and down 29.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 11.3% in 2010 and was at its lowest, -1.8%, in 1983.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 100th of 201 countries 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 Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.1% | — |
| 1971 | 0.1% | -22.2% |
| 1972 | 0.2% | +65.3% |
| 1973 | 0.2% | +32.8% |
| 1974 | 0.5% | +140.6% |
| 1975 | 0.1% | -83.6% |
| 1976 | 2.5% | +2673.9% |
| 1977 | 0.1% | -94.0% |
| 1978 | 0.6% | +331.2% |
| 1979 | 1.0% | +50.2% |
| 1980 | 0.8% | -20.2% |
| 1981 | 0.6% | -27.1% |
| 1982 | -0.0% | -103.1% |
| 1983 | -1.8% | +9989.4% |
| 1984 | -0.4% | -76.4% |
| 1985 | 1.0% | -332.9% |
| 1986 | 0.1% | -92.9% |
| 1987 | -0.7% | -1148.6% |
| 1988 | -0.0% | -93.8% |
| 1989 | -0.1% | +52.3% |
| 1990 | -0.2% | +128.4% |
| 1991 | 0.1% | -183.2% |
| 1992 | -0.0% | -106.9% |
| 1993 | 0.1% | -823.2% |
| 1994 | -0.0% | -140.2% |
| 1995 | -0.4% | +1436.7% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | -208.5% |
| 1997 | -0.7% | -269.5% |
| 1998 | 1.0% | -235.5% |
| 1999 | 0.2% | -76.0% |
| 2000 | 0.5% | +108.3% |
| 2001 | 1.4% | +178.5% |
| 2002 | 2.1% | +56.4% |
| 2003 | 4.4% | +103.7% |
| 2004 | 4.0% | -9.3% |
| 2005 | 1.4% | -64.1% |
| 2006 | 1.7% | +15.9% |
| 2007 | 9.8% | +494.9% |
| 2008 | 7.6% | -22.8% |
| 2009 | -1.3% | -117.2% |
| 2010 | 11.3% | -968.4% |
| 2011 | 6.0% | -46.7% |
| 2012 | 9.6% | +59.2% |
| 2013 | 4.9% | -49.5% |
| 2014 | 3.9% | -19.6% |
| 2015 | 2.9% | -25.8% |
| 2016 | 2.4% | -16.7% |
| 2017 | 2.8% | +15.6% |
| 2018 | 3.0% | +8.1% |
| 2019 | 2.9% | -4.4% |
| 2020 | 3.2% | +11.3% |
| 2021 | 2.8% | -11.5% |
| 2022 | 2.0% | -29.5% |
| 2023 | 3.4% | +69.9% |
| 2024 | 3.8% | +13.2% |
| 2025 | 2.1% | -46.7% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 2.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 2.1%, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 2.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.0%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Democratic Republic of Congo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | -9989.4% | -0.0% | -1.8% |
| 1976 | +2673.9% | 0.1% | 2.5% |
| 1995 | -1436.7% | -0.0% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | -1148.6% | 0.1% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | +968.4% | -1.3% | 11.3% |
| 1993 | +823.2% | -0.0% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.5% | 0.1% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.1% | -1.8% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | -0.7% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.2% | -1.3% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.0% | 2.4% | 11.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.9% | 2.0% | 3.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More economy & growth data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -13.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0076 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 6.17 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -17.61 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0056 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 4.5 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.016 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per capita 12.94 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Democratic Republic of Congo was 2.1% 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 Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 11.3% in 2010.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.8% in 1983.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 100th out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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
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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.