Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Small states
Small states: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) was 12.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Small states, 1970–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Small states recorded 12.2% for foreign direct investment, net inflows in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 592.7% on the previous year and down 34.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Small states peaked at 69.4% in 2018 and was at its lowest, -17.2%, in 2020.
Small states ranks 2nd of 47 groups 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 (% of GDP) in Small states, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 8.2% | — |
| 1971 | 4.7% | -43.2% |
| 1972 | 4.5% | -4.3% |
| 1973 | 3.6% | -18.7% |
| 1974 | 3.2% | -10.9% |
| 1975 | 2.1% | -34.3% |
| 1976 | 1.7% | -21.1% |
| 1977 | 1.4% | -17.4% |
| 1978 | 1.5% | +7.8% |
| 1979 | 1.3% | -15.2% |
| 1980 | 1.5% | +17.8% |
| 1981 | 2.2% | +45.5% |
| 1982 | 1.4% | -34.6% |
| 1983 | 1.2% | -17.6% |
| 1984 | 0.8% | -32.9% |
| 1985 | 0.7% | -12.7% |
| 1986 | 0.4% | -40.0% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | +84.7% |
| 1988 | 0.8% | +11.6% |
| 1989 | 0.9% | +9.1% |
| 1990 | 1.2% | +26.9% |
| 1991 | 1.6% | +32.4% |
| 1992 | 1.8% | +15.6% |
| 1993 | 2.2% | +19.6% |
| 1994 | 2.7% | +23.2% |
| 1995 | 3.8% | +43.8% |
| 1996 | 3.6% | -6.7% |
| 1997 | 5.2% | +47.2% |
| 1998 | 5.3% | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 5.5% | +4.9% |
| 2000 | 6.3% | +13.3% |
| 2001 | 5.3% | -15.8% |
| 2002 | 4.1% | -21.8% |
| 2003 | 5.4% | +30.4% |
| 2004 | 11.9% | +121.3% |
| 2005 | 25.7% | +115.6% |
| 2006 | 26.2% | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 31.9% | +21.4% |
| 2008 | 21.0% | -34.1% |
| 2009 | 47.0% | +124.2% |
| 2010 | 29.3% | -37.7% |
| 2011 | 29.9% | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 43.1% | +44.0% |
| 2013 | 15.7% | -63.5% |
| 2014 | 30.1% | +91.0% |
| 2015 | 18.6% | -38.1% |
| 2016 | 5.0% | -73.1% |
| 2017 | 39.3% | +685.9% |
| 2018 | 69.4% | +76.3% |
| 2019 | 67.8% | -2.2% |
| 2020 | -17.2% | -125.3% |
| 2021 | 43.4% | -353.0% |
| 2022 | 10.2% | -76.4% |
| 2023 | 4.2% | -58.8% |
| 2024 | 1.8% | -58.1% |
| 2025 | 12.2% | +592.7% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Small states 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +685.9% | 5.0% | 39.3% |
| 2025 | +592.7% | 1.8% | 12.2% |
| 2021 | +353.0% | -17.2% | 43.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.2% | 1.3% | 8.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.1% | 0.4% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.3% | 1.2% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.5% | 4.1% | 47.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.8% | 5.0% | 69.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.1% | -17.2% | 43.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Small states
More economy & growth data for Small states
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 9.91 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 3,407 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 2.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.1426 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 2,363 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 0.5711 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 2.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 9,468 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.2055 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate 8.69 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Small states?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Small states was 12.2% 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 Small states?
- The highest recorded value was 69.4% in 2018.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Small states?
- The lowest recorded value was -17.2% in 2020.
- How does Small states rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Small states ranks 2nd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Small states?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Small states 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.