Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Middle income
Middle income: Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 1.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Middle income, 1970–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Middle income stood at 1.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.3% on the previous year and down 54.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Middle income peaked at 3.5% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 1980.
Middle income ranks 37th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Middle income, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.8% | — |
| 1971 | 0.8% | -1.2% |
| 1972 | 0.5% | -37.2% |
| 1973 | 0.7% | +46.8% |
| 1974 | 0.6% | -14.4% |
| 1975 | 0.7% | +7.9% |
| 1976 | 0.5% | -31.3% |
| 1977 | 0.4% | -8.6% |
| 1978 | 0.5% | +14.8% |
| 1979 | 0.4% | -10.5% |
| 1980 | 0.4% | -14.1% |
| 1981 | 0.6% | +44.9% |
| 1982 | 0.5% | -12.5% |
| 1983 | 0.5% | -5.1% |
| 1984 | 0.4% | -5.5% |
| 1985 | 0.5% | +19.4% |
| 1986 | 0.4% | -17.6% |
| 1987 | 0.5% | +12.8% |
| 1988 | 0.7% | +52.4% |
| 1989 | 0.8% | +4.4% |
| 1990 | 0.7% | -10.7% |
| 1991 | 1.0% | +45.3% |
| 1992 | 1.2% | +23.1% |
| 1993 | 1.7% | +35.6% |
| 1994 | 2.0% | +20.3% |
| 1995 | 1.9% | -4.9% |
| 1996 | 2.1% | +12.5% |
| 1997 | 2.6% | +22.4% |
| 1998 | 2.6% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 2.9% | +10.5% |
| 2000 | 2.5% | -15.3% |
| 2001 | 2.7% | +9.8% |
| 2002 | 2.5% | -9.1% |
| 2003 | 2.2% | -8.9% |
| 2004 | 2.5% | +10.1% |
| 2005 | 3.0% | +21.9% |
| 2006 | 3.1% | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 3.5% | +13.0% |
| 2008 | 3.3% | -4.9% |
| 2009 | 2.4% | -28.0% |
| 2010 | 3.0% | +24.1% |
| 2011 | 3.0% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 2.6% | -13.8% |
| 2013 | 2.6% | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 2.3% | -11.5% |
| 2015 | 2.3% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 2.0% | -14.7% |
| 2017 | 1.8% | -9.6% |
| 2018 | 2.0% | +8.9% |
| 2019 | 1.7% | -13.5% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 2.0% | +17.6% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | -22.7% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | -33.9% |
| 2024 | 1.1% | +10.2% |
| 2025 | 1.1% | -7.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.9% | 0.7% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.8% | 2.2% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.3% | 1.7% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 1.0% | 2.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle income
More economy & growth data for Middle income
- Services, value added 22.22 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 2,196 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added 13.23 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added 12.84 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added 4.2% (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added 32.4% (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 4.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added 23.64 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.5788 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 6.56 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Middle income?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Middle income was 1.1% 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 income?
- The highest recorded value was 3.5% in 2007.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 1980.
- How does Middle income rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Middle income ranks 37th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Middle income 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.