Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) was 7.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Saint Lucia, 1980–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Saint Lucia recorded 7.3% for foreign direct investment, net inflows in 2025.
That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Saint Lucia peaked at 22.8% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 2018.
That places Saint Lucia 29th out of 201 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Saint Lucia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 18.1% | — |
| 1981 | 19.6% | +8.3% |
| 1982 | 14.5% | -26.4% |
| 1983 | 5.1% | -64.9% |
| 1984 | 4.8% | -6.0% |
| 1985 | 6.0% | +25.2% |
| 1986 | 4.3% | -28.6% |
| 1987 | 4.0% | -6.5% |
| 1988 | 3.8% | -4.2% |
| 1989 | 5.5% | +43.0% |
| 1990 | 7.7% | +41.2% |
| 1991 | 9.4% | +21.8% |
| 1992 | 6.1% | -35.4% |
| 1993 | 5.0% | -17.9% |
| 1994 | 4.6% | -8.7% |
| 1995 | 4.3% | -5.8% |
| 1996 | 2.3% | -45.6% |
| 1997 | 5.9% | +154.2% |
| 1998 | 9.5% | +60.2% |
| 1999 | 9.0% | -5.1% |
| 2000 | 10.3% | +14.2% |
| 2001 | 11.7% | +14.0% |
| 2002 | 11.1% | -5.5% |
| 2003 | 16.6% | +49.5% |
| 2004 | 11.4% | -31.3% |
| 2005 | 10.2% | -10.8% |
| 2006 | 22.8% | +124.0% |
| 2007 | 15.2% | -33.3% |
| 2008 | 13.6% | -10.4% |
| 2009 | 9.6% | -29.2% |
| 2010 | 11.8% | +22.0% |
| 2011 | 6.2% | -47.3% |
| 2012 | 7.4% | +19.1% |
| 2013 | 7.6% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 3.8% | -49.2% |
| 2015 | 8.4% | +119.0% |
| 2016 | 8.6% | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 4.5% | -48.0% |
| 2018 | 2.2% | -50.9% |
| 2019 | 3.6% | +63.6% |
| 2020 | 6.5% | +80.3% |
| 2021 | 3.8% | -42.4% |
| 2022 | 2.5% | -33.3% |
| 2023 | 8.3% | +232.5% |
| 2024 | 7.2% | -13.9% |
| 2025 | 7.3% | +1.9% |
Saint Lucia compared with similar countries
- Saint Lucia's 7.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.3%, 3.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Saint Lucia's 7.3% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 2.5%, 2.9× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.6% | 3.8% | 19.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.4% | 2.3% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.3% | 9.6% | 22.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.4% | 2.2% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.9% | 2.5% | 8.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saint Lucia
More economy & growth data for Saint Lucia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.31 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.5 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -6.65 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0103 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 152.27 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -11.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0075 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 111.18 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0102 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Saint Lucia?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Saint Lucia was 7.3% 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 Saint Lucia?
- The highest recorded value was 22.8% in 2006.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Saint Lucia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 2018.
- How does Saint Lucia rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Saint Lucia ranks 29th out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Saint Lucia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saint Lucia 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.