Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong, China: Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 30.8% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
30.8%
Change on year
down 3.8%
World rank
5th
of 200 countries
All-time high
58.5%
in 2015
All-time low
-0.7%
in 1985
Years of data
55
1970–2024

Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Hong Kong, China, 1970–2024

0204060197019972024

Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

In 2024, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Hong Kong, China stood at 30.8%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.8% on the previous year and down 30.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Hong Kong, China peaked at 58.5% in 2015 and was at its lowest, -0.7%, in 1985.

Hong Kong, China ranks 5th of 200 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Hong Kong, China, year by year

Annual values for Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Hong Kong, China, 1970 to 2024.
Year % of GDP Change
1970 1.3%
1971 1.3% +1.4%
1972 1.9% +45.5%
1973 3.4% +74.7%
1974 1.6% -51.6%
1975 3.8% +129.8%
1976 2.0% -47.2%
1977 1.7% -12.2%
1978 2.6% +49.7%
1979 2.9% +10.4%
1980 2.5% -14.5%
1981 6.6% +169.9%
1982 3.8% -42.3%
1983 3.8% -0.1%
1984 3.8% +0.4%
1985 -0.7% -119.5%
1986 4.6% -714.2%
1987 12.3% +168.6%
1988 8.3% -32.5%
1989 3.0% -64.4%
1990 4.3% +43.5%
1991 1.1% -73.0%
1992 3.7% +224.9%
1993 5.8% +54.4%
1994 5.8% +0.1%
1995 4.3% -25.5%
1996 6.5% +52.5%
1997 6.4% -2.1%
1998 8.3% +28.8%
1999 15.3% +85.3%
2000 41.1% +168.5%
2001 18.5% -55.0%
2002 4.1% -78.0%
2003 11.5% +183.6%
2004 13.1% +14.1%
2005 22.6% +71.9%
2006 23.2% +2.8%
2007 29.4% +26.5%
2008 30.6% +4.1%
2009 25.4% -17.1%
2010 36.2% +42.7%
2011 38.7% +6.9%
2012 28.5% -26.3%
2013 27.9% -2.2%
2014 44.6% +59.8%
2015 58.5% +31.4%
2016 41.5% -29.0%
2017 36.8% -11.3%
2018 26.8% -27.2%
2019 16.1% -40.1%
2020 34.0% +112.1%
2021 37.2% +9.2%
2022 34.1% -8.2%
2023 32.0% -6.1%
2024 30.8% -3.8%

Hong Kong, China compared with similar countries

  • Hong Kong, China's 30.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.1%, 14.6× the median. (72 countries reporting)
  • Hong Kong, China's 30.8% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.1%, 15.0× the median. (32 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Hong Kong, 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.

YearChange FromTo
1986 +714.2% -0.7% 4.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 2.3% 1.3% 3.8% 10
1980s 4.8% -0.7% 12.3% 10
1990s 6.1% 1.1% 15.3% 10
2000s 21.9% 4.1% 41.1% 10
2010s 35.6% 16.1% 58.5% 10
2020s 33.6% 30.8% 37.2% 5

Countries ranked near Hong Kong, China

  1. 2 Suriname 45.1% compare
  2. 3 Cayman Islands 40.9% compare
  3. 4 Guyana 35.0% compare
  4. 6 Cyprus 27.1% compare
  5. 7 Singapore 26.3% compare
  6. 8 Palau 21.5% compare

See the full ranking of 247 places →

More economy & growth data for Hong Kong, China

All data for Hong Kong, China →

Frequently asked questions

What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Hong Kong, China?
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Hong Kong, China was 30.8% in 2024, 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 Hong Kong, China?
The highest recorded value was 58.5% in 2015.
What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Hong Kong, China?
The lowest recorded value was -0.7% in 1985.
How does Hong Kong, China rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
Hong Kong, China ranks 5th out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Hong Kong, China?
Over the last ten years it is down 30.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Hong Kong, 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.

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Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Hong Kong, China. Statizoid, drawing on International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/foreign-direct-investment-net-inflows-percent-of-gdp/hong-kong-sar-china/

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About this data

Indicator
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
247 places, 11,875 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

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.