Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 2.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 1970–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan recorded 2.6% for foreign direct investment, net inflows in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 32.5% on the previous year and up 139.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 5.1% in 2006 and was at its lowest, -1.4%, in 1974.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 10th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.9% | — |
| 1971 | 0.2% | -73.0% |
| 1972 | 0.5% | +123.6% |
| 1973 | 0.0% | -99.2% |
| 1974 | -1.4% | -32326.6% |
| 1975 | 0.9% | -165.8% |
| 1976 | 0.1% | -86.7% |
| 1977 | 0.4% | +227.3% |
| 1978 | 0.5% | +12.8% |
| 1979 | 0.0% | -97.6% |
| 1980 | -0.5% | -4666.6% |
| 1981 | 1.2% | -337.1% |
| 1982 | 1.9% | +59.0% |
| 1983 | 0.9% | -52.1% |
| 1984 | 1.0% | +12.3% |
| 1985 | 0.3% | -66.0% |
| 1986 | 0.4% | +9.6% |
| 1987 | -0.0% | -100.4% |
| 1988 | 0.4% | -24613.4% |
| 1989 | 0.3% | -23.7% |
| 1990 | 0.4% | +37.6% |
| 1991 | 0.4% | +12.3% |
| 1992 | 0.6% | +50.0% |
| 1993 | 0.8% | +31.4% |
| 1994 | 0.8% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | -56.7% |
| 1996 | 0.7% | +103.2% |
| 1997 | 1.3% | +73.1% |
| 1998 | 1.3% | +6.1% |
| 1999 | 0.9% | -36.1% |
| 2000 | 1.1% | +32.5% |
| 2001 | 1.0% | -9.9% |
| 2002 | 1.0% | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 1.7% | +72.2% |
| 2004 | 2.4% | +39.2% |
| 2005 | 4.0% | +66.7% |
| 2006 | 5.1% | +27.6% |
| 2007 | 4.9% | -4.5% |
| 2008 | 2.9% | -39.5% |
| 2009 | 1.9% | -34.7% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | +11.5% |
| 2011 | 1.5% | -31.9% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 1.3% | -13.0% |
| 2014 | 0.8% | -33.5% |
| 2015 | 1.1% | +27.6% |
| 2016 | 1.9% | +72.4% |
| 2017 | 2.6% | +38.3% |
| 2018 | 3.5% | +37.1% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | -36.2% |
| 2020 | 2.5% | +9.0% |
| 2021 | 4.1% | +66.6% |
| 2022 | 2.5% | -40.0% |
| 2023 | 2.7% | +9.6% |
| 2024 | 3.8% | +42.1% |
| 2025 | 2.6% | -32.5% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 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 | -32326.6% | 0.0% | -1.4% |
| 1988 | +24613.4% | -0.0% | 0.4% |
| 1980 | -4666.6% | 0.0% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.2% | -1.4% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.6% | -0.5% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8% | 0.4% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.6% | 1.0% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.8% | 0.8% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.0% | 2.5% | 4.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- 7 Singapore 26.3% compare
- 8 Palau 21.5% compare
- 9 Mozambique 15.4% compare
- 10 Namibia 14.2% compare
- 11 East Timor 13.3% compare
- 12 Mauritania 13.2% compare
- 13 Antigua and Barbuda 12.1% compare
More economy & growth data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 100.54 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 1,005 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.162 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.4665 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 1,080 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.1741 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) 1.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0097 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 59.93 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 83.25 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 2.6% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 5.1% in 2006.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.4% in 1974.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 10th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 139.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 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.