Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Eswatini
Eswatini: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) was 1.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Eswatini, 1972–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Eswatini recorded 1.0% for foreign direct investment, net inflows in 2025.
The figure is down 63.1% on the previous year and up 27.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Eswatini peaked at 13.5% in 1979 and was at its lowest, -2.8%, in 2003.
Eswatini ranks 145th 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 Eswatini, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 0.5% | — |
| 1973 | 0.0% | -94.1% |
| 1974 | 1.3% | +4842.4% |
| 1975 | 5.0% | +275.6% |
| 1976 | 2.7% | -46.2% |
| 1977 | 6.6% | +143.7% |
| 1978 | 6.4% | -3.0% |
| 1979 | 13.5% | +110.9% |
| 1980 | 4.9% | -63.7% |
| 1981 | 6.5% | +33.0% |
| 1982 | -2.5% | -139.1% |
| 1983 | -1.0% | -59.8% |
| 1984 | 1.0% | -199.6% |
| 1985 | 3.2% | +218.2% |
| 1986 | 6.9% | +114.7% |
| 1987 | 9.6% | +39.1% |
| 1988 | 7.3% | -24.1% |
| 1989 | 9.6% | +31.9% |
| 1990 | 2.7% | -72.0% |
| 1991 | 7.1% | +163.0% |
| 1992 | 6.8% | -4.3% |
| 1993 | 5.3% | -22.0% |
| 1994 | 4.5% | -15.9% |
| 1995 | 3.0% | -31.7% |
| 1996 | 1.4% | -55.5% |
| 1997 | -0.9% | -165.8% |
| 1998 | 9.7% | -1185.7% |
| 1999 | 6.3% | -34.4% |
| 2000 | 5.3% | -15.9% |
| 2001 | 2.0% | -63.5% |
| 2002 | 6.7% | +241.7% |
| 2003 | -2.8% | -142.0% |
| 2004 | 2.6% | -191.7% |
| 2005 | -1.5% | -157.6% |
| 2006 | 3.8% | -354.3% |
| 2007 | 1.1% | -70.6% |
| 2008 | 3.3% | +195.5% |
| 2009 | 1.9% | -43.0% |
| 2010 | 3.1% | +66.9% |
| 2011 | 2.1% | -32.8% |
| 2012 | 0.6% | -73.3% |
| 2013 | 1.8% | +228.6% |
| 2014 | 0.6% | -67.2% |
| 2015 | 0.8% | +33.9% |
| 2016 | 0.7% | -10.5% |
| 2017 | -1.3% | -279.1% |
| 2018 | 0.7% | -151.9% |
| 2019 | 2.8% | +313.5% |
| 2020 | 0.9% | -66.2% |
| 2021 | 2.3% | +150.3% |
| 2022 | 0.3% | -88.0% |
| 2023 | 0.6% | +116.4% |
| 2024 | 2.8% | +358.2% |
| 2025 | 1.0% | -63.1% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 1.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.9%, 55% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 1.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.0%, 52% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Eswatini 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | +4842.4% | 0.0% | 1.3% |
| 1998 | +1185.7% | -0.9% | 9.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.5% | 0.0% | 13.5% | 8 |
| 1980s | 4.6% | -2.5% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.6% | -0.9% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.2% | -2.8% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | -1.3% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 0.3% | 2.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
More economy & growth data for Eswatini
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -56.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0008 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 3.28 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -58.35 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 2.4 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate -25.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0191 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per capita 78.44 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, SDR, annual growth rate -29.04 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Eswatini?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Eswatini was 1.0% 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 Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 13.5% in 1979.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.8% in 2003.
- How does Eswatini rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Eswatini ranks 145th out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Eswatini 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 — 54 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.