Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Kiribati
Kiribati: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) was 1.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Kiribati, 1979–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Kiribati recorded 1.2% for foreign direct investment, net inflows in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 49.4% on the previous year and up 378.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Kiribati peaked at 3.6% in 2009 and was at its lowest, -4.0%, in 2010.
Kiribati ranks 135th 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 Kiribati, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 0.0% | — |
| 1980 | 0.0% | — |
| 1981 | 0.0% | — |
| 1982 | 0.0% | — |
| 1983 | -2.9% | — |
| 1984 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 1985 | 0.8% | — |
| 1986 | 0.4% | -51.3% |
| 1987 | 0.7% | +81.4% |
| 1988 | 0.7% | -9.4% |
| 1989 | 0.5% | -28.7% |
| 1990 | 0.8% | +71.3% |
| 1991 | 1.0% | +26.4% |
| 1992 | 0.7% | -36.2% |
| 1993 | -1.3% | -297.3% |
| 1994 | 0.6% | -149.3% |
| 1995 | 0.6% | -12.1% |
| 1996 | 0.7% | +16.9% |
| 1997 | 0.6% | -3.4% |
| 1998 | 0.6% | -8.1% |
| 1999 | 0.6% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 1.0% | +65.0% |
| 2001 | -0.4% | -143.7% |
| 2002 | 0.3% | -179.4% |
| 2003 | 0.7% | +108.8% |
| 2004 | 1.9% | +168.9% |
| 2005 | 2.3% | +21.9% |
| 2006 | 0.5% | -77.9% |
| 2007 | 0.8% | +65.1% |
| 2008 | -0.9% | -203.2% |
| 2009 | 3.6% | -513.3% |
| 2010 | -4.0% | -212.0% |
| 2011 | -0.2% | -95.5% |
| 2012 | -1.2% | +547.7% |
| 2013 | 0.4% | -136.0% |
| 2014 | 1.3% | +216.3% |
| 2015 | -0.4% | -132.6% |
| 2016 | 0.9% | -304.5% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | -59.8% |
| 2018 | -0.5% | -239.1% |
| 2019 | -0.3% | -47.4% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | -561.5% |
| 2021 | 0.4% | -69.6% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | +335.8% |
| 2023 | 1.8% | +11.3% |
| 2024 | 2.4% | +34.3% |
| 2025 | 1.2% | -49.4% |
Kiribati compared with similar countries
- Kiribati's 1.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.9%, 63% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kiribati's 1.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.1%, 56% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1980s | 0.0% | -2.9% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5% | -1.3% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.0% | -0.9% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.4% | -4.0% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 0.4% | 2.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kiribati
More economy & growth data for Kiribati
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.6343 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.11 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0577 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 147.57 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -0.0313 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0421 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 107.75 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 0.0384 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Kiribati?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Kiribati was 1.2% 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 Kiribati?
- The highest recorded value was 3.6% in 2009.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Kiribati?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.0% in 2010.
- How does Kiribati rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Kiribati ranks 135th out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Kiribati?
- Over the last ten years it is up 378.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kiribati 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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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.