Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Singapore
Singapore: Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 26.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Singapore, 1970–2025
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 Singapore is 26.3%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 11.7% on the previous year and up 16.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Singapore peaked at 32.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 3.6%, in 1976.
Singapore ranks 7th of 200 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Singapore, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.8% | — |
| 1971 | 5.1% | +5.8% |
| 1972 | 5.9% | +15.5% |
| 1973 | 9.5% | +61.3% |
| 1974 | 6.5% | -31.7% |
| 1975 | 5.2% | -20.5% |
| 1976 | 3.6% | -29.6% |
| 1977 | 4.4% | +20.8% |
| 1978 | 4.0% | -9.4% |
| 1979 | 9.0% | +125.4% |
| 1980 | 10.4% | +15.5% |
| 1981 | 11.7% | +12.7% |
| 1982 | 10.0% | -15.0% |
| 1983 | 6.4% | -36.0% |
| 1984 | 6.6% | +3.4% |
| 1985 | 5.5% | -17.1% |
| 1986 | 9.2% | +68.4% |
| 1987 | 13.6% | +47.3% |
| 1988 | 14.4% | +6.2% |
| 1989 | 9.5% | -34.2% |
| 1990 | 15.4% | +62.8% |
| 1991 | 10.7% | -30.3% |
| 1992 | 4.2% | -60.7% |
| 1993 | 7.7% | +82.9% |
| 1994 | 11.6% | +50.1% |
| 1995 | 13.6% | +17.2% |
| 1996 | 11.9% | -12.7% |
| 1997 | 15.7% | +32.1% |
| 1998 | 7.0% | -55.7% |
| 1999 | 21.8% | +214.3% |
| 2000 | 16.1% | -26.1% |
| 2001 | 18.9% | +17.3% |
| 2002 | 6.7% | -64.9% |
| 2003 | 17.5% | +162.4% |
| 2004 | 21.2% | +21.4% |
| 2005 | 15.1% | -28.7% |
| 2006 | 26.3% | +74.2% |
| 2007 | 26.2% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 7.0% | -73.2% |
| 2009 | 12.1% | +71.9% |
| 2010 | 23.1% | +91.1% |
| 2011 | 17.6% | -23.7% |
| 2012 | 18.7% | +6.5% |
| 2013 | 20.9% | +11.7% |
| 2014 | 21.8% | +4.2% |
| 2015 | 22.7% | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 20.3% | -10.4% |
| 2017 | 29.6% | +45.6% |
| 2018 | 22.8% | -23.0% |
| 2019 | 28.2% | +23.7% |
| 2020 | 22.6% | -19.8% |
| 2021 | 32.3% | +42.9% |
| 2022 | 28.0% | -13.1% |
| 2023 | 24.6% | -12.2% |
| 2024 | 23.6% | -4.2% |
| 2025 | 26.3% | +11.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.8% | 3.6% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.7% | 5.5% | 14.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.0% | 4.2% | 21.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.7% | 6.7% | 26.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.6% | 17.6% | 29.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.2% | 22.6% | 32.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More economy & growth data for Singapore
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.99 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita 32,698 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 7.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.6383 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per capita 63,070 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), annual growth rate 5.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.8345 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per capita 82,461 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 3.62 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Singapore?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Singapore was 26.3% 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 Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 32.3% in 2021.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.6% in 1976.
- How does Singapore rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Singapore ranks 7th out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Singapore 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.