Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in IDA total
IDA total: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) was 2.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in IDA total, 1970–2025
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 IDA total is 2.5%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.4% on the previous year and up 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in IDA total peaked at 3.1% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1980.
IDA total ranks 13th of 47 groups 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 IDA total, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.2% | — |
| 1971 | 0.9% | -21.5% |
| 1972 | 0.9% | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 1.0% | +11.3% |
| 1974 | 0.6% | -40.4% |
| 1975 | 0.7% | +16.8% |
| 1976 | 0.7% | -3.1% |
| 1977 | 0.6% | -15.7% |
| 1978 | 0.5% | -6.4% |
| 1979 | 0.6% | +4.9% |
| 1980 | 0.1% | -74.0% |
| 1981 | 0.4% | +205.0% |
| 1982 | 0.3% | -27.1% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | -10.1% |
| 1984 | 0.2% | -31.5% |
| 1985 | 0.5% | +136.5% |
| 1986 | 0.2% | -62.6% |
| 1987 | 0.5% | +193.7% |
| 1988 | 0.5% | -7.9% |
| 1989 | 1.1% | +130.6% |
| 1990 | 0.6% | -50.0% |
| 1991 | 0.6% | +9.1% |
| 1992 | 0.9% | +52.6% |
| 1993 | 1.3% | +37.6% |
| 1994 | 1.2% | -5.7% |
| 1995 | 0.8% | -32.4% |
| 1996 | 0.8% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | +24.1% |
| 1998 | 1.0% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 1.5% | +47.7% |
| 2000 | 1.3% | -14.5% |
| 2001 | 1.4% | +8.4% |
| 2002 | 1.7% | +21.7% |
| 2003 | 1.8% | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 1.9% | +6.1% |
| 2005 | 2.2% | +19.4% |
| 2006 | 2.5% | +13.5% |
| 2007 | 3.0% | +18.5% |
| 2008 | 3.1% | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 2.6% | -16.3% |
| 2010 | 2.6% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 2.9% | +9.4% |
| 2012 | 2.7% | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 2.6% | -5.0% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | -16.6% |
| 2015 | 2.3% | +7.3% |
| 2016 | 2.1% | -9.5% |
| 2017 | 2.0% | -3.8% |
| 2018 | 1.5% | -25.8% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | +9.0% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | -16.3% |
| 2021 | 1.8% | +31.8% |
| 2022 | 1.3% | -25.8% |
| 2023 | 1.9% | +37.8% |
| 2024 | 2.4% | +28.1% |
| 2025 | 2.5% | +4.4% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in IDA total 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +205.0% | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| 1987 | +193.7% | 0.2% | 0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.8% | 0.5% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.4% | 0.1% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.0% | 0.6% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.2% | 1.3% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.3% | 1.5% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.3% | 2.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near IDA total
More economy & growth data for IDA total
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) 12.46 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0009 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 5.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 197.95 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.1231 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 1.02 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1.48 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 26.71 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -59.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.1054 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in IDA total?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in IDA total 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 IDA total?
- The highest recorded value was 3.1% in 2008.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in IDA total?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1980.
- How does IDA total rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- IDA total ranks 13th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in IDA total?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this IDA total 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 — 56 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.