Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea: Foreign direct investment, net inflows was -0.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
-0.6%
Change on year
down 558.2%
World rank
184th
of 200 countries
All-time high
20.1%
in 1970
All-time low
-0.8%
in 2017
Years of data
55
1970–2024

Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Papua New Guinea, 1970–2024

05101520197019972024

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 Papua New Guinea is -0.6%, measured in 2024.

The figure is down 558.2% on the previous year and down 607.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Papua New Guinea peaked at 20.1% in 1970 and was at its lowest, -0.8%, in 2017.

That places Papua New Guinea 184th out of 200 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Papua New Guinea, year by year

Annual values for Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Papua New Guinea, 1970 to 2024.
Year % of GDP Change
1970 20.1%
1971 6.6% -67.1%
1972 10.0% +51.1%
1973 8.6% -13.9%
1974 5.0% -42.5%
1975 -0.2% -103.3%
1976 1.4% -938.2%
1977 1.2% -12.4%
1978 2.0% +65.5%
1979 1.9% -3.5%
1980 3.0% +53.9%
1981 3.4% +16.3%
1982 3.6% +5.1%
1983 5.4% +49.5%
1984 4.5% -16.4%
1985 3.4% -24.1%
1986 3.4% -0.3%
1987 3.0% -13.6%
1988 4.2% +41.6%
1989 5.7% +36.6%
1990 4.8% -15.8%
1991 3.2% -34.0%
1992 2.4% -23.7%
1993 1.2% -48.6%
1994 1.1% -13.0%
1995 9.8% +803.6%
1996 2.1% -78.3%
1997 0.6% -73.1%
1998 2.9% +403.5%
1999 8.6% +196.8%
2000 2.7% -68.0%
2001 2.1% -25.2%
2002 0.7% -67.2%
2003 4.8% +609.3%
2004 0.8% -82.6%
2005 0.8% -0.9%
2006 1.5% +87.3%
2007 1.4% -11.0%
2008 0.4% -70.0%
2009 3.6% +781.5%
2010 0.2% -93.1%
2011 0.2% -18.9%
2012 0.1% -33.2%
2013 0.1% -6.8%
2014 0.1% +0.6%
2015 0.1% +9.0%
2016 -0.2% -236.3%
2017 -0.8% +318.3%
2018 1.3% -261.4%
2019 1.4% +6.6%
2020 0.5% -65.1%
2021 -0.1% -127.8%
2022 3.8% -2960.2%
2023 0.1% -96.3%
2024 -0.6% -558.2%

Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries

  • Papua New Guinea's -0.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.6%. (47 countries reporting)
  • Papua New Guinea's -0.6% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.1%. (32 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Papua New Guinea 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.

YearChange FromTo
2022 +2960.2% -0.1% 3.8%
1976 +938.2% -0.2% 1.4%
1995 +803.6% 1.1% 9.8%
2009 +781.5% 0.4% 3.6%
2003 +609.3% 0.7% 4.8%
2024 -558.2% 0.1% -0.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 5.7% -0.2% 20.1% 10
1980s 4.0% 3.0% 5.7% 10
1990s 3.7% 0.6% 9.8% 10
2000s 1.9% 0.4% 4.8% 10
2010s 0.3% -0.8% 1.4% 10
2020s 0.7% -0.6% 3.8% 5

Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea

  1. 181 Kazakhstan -0.3% compare
  2. 182 South Africa -0.5% compare
  3. 183 Iceland -0.5% compare
  4. 185 Burkina Faso -0.9% compare
  5. 186 Switzerland -1.2% compare
  6. 187 Yemen -1.3% compare

See the full ranking of 247 places →

More economy & growth data for Papua New Guinea

All data for Papua New Guinea →

Frequently asked questions

What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Papua New Guinea?
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Papua New Guinea was -0.6% in 2024, 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 Papua New Guinea?
The highest recorded value was 20.1% in 1970.
What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Papua New Guinea?
The lowest recorded value was -0.8% in 2017.
How does Papua New Guinea rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
Papua New Guinea ranks 184th out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
Over the last ten years it is down 607.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Papua New Guinea 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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Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Papua New Guinea. Statizoid, drawing on International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/foreign-direct-investment-net-inflows-percent-of-gdp/papua-new-guinea/

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About this data

Indicator
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
247 places, 11,875 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

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.