Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 2.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1970–2024
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) stood at 2.2%.
That represents a change of up 11.8% on the previous year and down 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 3.8% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1980.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 19th out of 47 groups with data for 2024, putting it 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.3% | — |
| 1971 | 1.1% | -12.8% |
| 1972 | 0.9% | -18.0% |
| 1973 | 0.8% | -13.4% |
| 1974 | 1.1% | +36.3% |
| 1975 | 0.9% | -18.1% |
| 1976 | 0.7% | -25.0% |
| 1977 | 0.5% | -27.8% |
| 1978 | 0.5% | -3.5% |
| 1979 | 0.3% | -28.1% |
| 1980 | 0.1% | -75.5% |
| 1981 | 0.4% | +369.3% |
| 1982 | 0.4% | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | -35.1% |
| 1984 | 0.3% | +23.6% |
| 1985 | 0.4% | +10.4% |
| 1986 | 0.2% | -35.2% |
| 1987 | 0.4% | +92.4% |
| 1988 | 0.5% | +9.0% |
| 1989 | 0.9% | +95.1% |
| 1990 | 0.3% | -66.8% |
| 1991 | 0.5% | +66.9% |
| 1992 | 0.5% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 0.7% | +37.3% |
| 1994 | 1.0% | +34.6% |
| 1995 | 0.8% | -21.0% |
| 1996 | 0.6% | -18.6% |
| 1997 | 1.3% | +115.0% |
| 1998 | 1.1% | -18.8% |
| 1999 | 2.2% | +101.5% |
| 2000 | 1.6% | -24.8% |
| 2001 | 3.8% | +134.0% |
| 2002 | 2.4% | -35.5% |
| 2003 | 2.5% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 1.8% | -26.4% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | +30.2% |
| 2006 | 1.7% | -29.4% |
| 2007 | 2.6% | +53.5% |
| 2008 | 3.0% | +17.3% |
| 2009 | 3.0% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 2.3% | -24.0% |
| 2011 | 2.6% | +13.6% |
| 2012 | 2.6% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 2.2% | -14.9% |
| 2014 | 2.3% | +4.3% |
| 2015 | 2.7% | +15.2% |
| 2016 | 2.1% | -21.2% |
| 2017 | 1.7% | -21.3% |
| 2018 | 1.5% | -6.8% |
| 2019 | 1.3% | -13.3% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | -8.8% |
| 2021 | 3.3% | +170.9% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | -51.9% |
| 2023 | 2.0% | +25.7% |
| 2024 | 2.2% | +11.8% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +369.3% | 0.1% | 0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.8% | 0.3% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9% | 0.3% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 1.6% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 1.3% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.1% | 1.2% | 3.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More economy & growth data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 4.36 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.147 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 245.62 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 7.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 0.8257 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 1,380 current US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 8.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per capita 1,655 current US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9901 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 3.8 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 2.2% 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 3.8% in 2001.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1980.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 19th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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 — 55 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.