Foreign direct investment, net inflows in New Zealand
New Zealand: Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 1.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in New Zealand, 1970–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 1.4% for foreign direct investment, net inflows in 2025.
That represents a change of up 103.0% on the previous year and up 3,416.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in New Zealand peaked at 5.6% in 1996 and was at its lowest, -3.8%, in 2003.
New Zealand ranks 134th of 200 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 in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.2% | — |
| 1971 | 1.4% | -38.1% |
| 1972 | 1.3% | -4.8% |
| 1973 | 1.6% | +22.5% |
| 1974 | 1.8% | +11.3% |
| 1975 | 1.1% | -40.5% |
| 1976 | 2.0% | +90.0% |
| 1977 | 1.0% | -51.0% |
| 1978 | 1.5% | +47.9% |
| 1979 | 1.7% | +14.5% |
| 1980 | 1.4% | -15.0% |
| 1981 | 0.7% | -49.6% |
| 1982 | 1.1% | +56.8% |
| 1983 | 1.0% | -12.0% |
| 1984 | 0.5% | -46.4% |
| 1985 | 0.9% | +70.2% |
| 1986 | 1.3% | +39.3% |
| 1987 | 0.6% | -53.8% |
| 1988 | 0.3% | -41.3% |
| 1989 | 1.0% | +186.0% |
| 1990 | 3.7% | +275.1% |
| 1991 | 4.0% | +6.9% |
| 1992 | 2.6% | -34.0% |
| 1993 | 4.7% | +81.0% |
| 1994 | 4.7% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 4.5% | -5.7% |
| 1996 | 5.6% | +25.3% |
| 1997 | 2.9% | -48.1% |
| 1998 | 3.2% | +11.9% |
| 1999 | 1.6% | -50.7% |
| 2000 | -2.9% | -278.8% |
| 2001 | 0.5% | -116.8% |
| 2002 | 4.3% | +788.2% |
| 2003 | -3.8% | -189.2% |
| 2004 | 2.2% | -158.6% |
| 2005 | 1.7% | -25.6% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | +57.1% |
| 2007 | 3.2% | +21.0% |
| 2008 | 1.9% | -38.5% |
| 2009 | -0.0% | -102.2% |
| 2010 | 0.2% | -552.7% |
| 2011 | 0.8% | +319.8% |
| 2012 | 2.2% | +166.4% |
| 2013 | -0.0% | -101.7% |
| 2014 | 1.6% | -4533.6% |
| 2015 | -0.0% | -102.6% |
| 2016 | 1.1% | -2680.0% |
| 2017 | 1.2% | +8.9% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 1.4% | +24.4% |
| 2020 | 2.3% | +55.9% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | -7.1% |
| 2022 | 3.9% | +87.8% |
| 2023 | 1.7% | -56.3% |
| 2024 | 0.7% | -60.7% |
| 2025 | 1.4% | +103.0% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 1.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.1%, 65% of the median. (72 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 1.4% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.1%, 66% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows in New Zealand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +4533.6% | -0.0% | 1.6% |
| 2016 | +2680.0% | -0.0% | 1.1% |
| 2002 | +788.2% | 0.5% | 4.3% |
| 2010 | +552.7% | -0.0% | 0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.6% | 1.0% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.9% | 0.3% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.8% | 1.6% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.0% | -3.8% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.0% | -0.0% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.0% | 0.7% | 3.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More economy & growth data for New Zealand
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.71 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.37 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 23.86 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0001 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 4.48 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 3.61 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 104.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0137 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 677.46 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 27.59 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in New Zealand?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in New Zealand was 1.4% 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 5.6% in 1996.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.8% in 2003.
- How does New Zealand rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- New Zealand ranks 134th out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3,416.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.