Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 2.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1970–2024
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 2.3% for foreign direct investment, net inflows in 2024.
That represents a change of up 11.7% on the previous year and down 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 3.8% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1980.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 17th 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 (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.3% | — |
| 1971 | 1.1% | -12.8% |
| 1972 | 0.9% | -18.0% |
| 1973 | 0.8% | -12.9% |
| 1974 | 1.1% | +35.4% |
| 1975 | 0.9% | -17.9% |
| 1976 | 0.7% | -24.8% |
| 1977 | 0.5% | -27.6% |
| 1978 | 0.5% | -3.7% |
| 1979 | 0.3% | -27.9% |
| 1980 | 0.1% | -74.7% |
| 1981 | 0.4% | +354.5% |
| 1982 | 0.4% | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | -34.8% |
| 1984 | 0.3% | +23.5% |
| 1985 | 0.4% | +10.6% |
| 1986 | 0.2% | -34.5% |
| 1987 | 0.4% | +90.7% |
| 1988 | 0.5% | +9.0% |
| 1989 | 0.9% | +93.5% |
| 1990 | 0.3% | -66.4% |
| 1991 | 0.5% | +65.6% |
| 1992 | 0.5% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 0.7% | +37.6% |
| 1994 | 1.0% | +34.8% |
| 1995 | 0.8% | -20.6% |
| 1996 | 0.6% | -18.9% |
| 1997 | 1.3% | +114.6% |
| 1998 | 1.1% | -18.7% |
| 1999 | 2.2% | +100.9% |
| 2000 | 1.6% | -25.0% |
| 2001 | 3.8% | +134.2% |
| 2002 | 2.5% | -35.5% |
| 2003 | 2.5% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 1.8% | -26.5% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | +30.4% |
| 2006 | 1.7% | -29.1% |
| 2007 | 2.6% | +53.1% |
| 2008 | 3.0% | +17.2% |
| 2009 | 3.0% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 2.3% | -24.0% |
| 2011 | 2.6% | +13.4% |
| 2012 | 2.7% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 2.2% | -16.0% |
| 2014 | 2.3% | +4.4% |
| 2015 | 2.7% | +15.2% |
| 2016 | 2.1% | -21.2% |
| 2017 | 1.7% | -21.0% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | -6.4% |
| 2019 | 1.4% | -13.5% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | -9.3% |
| 2021 | 3.3% | +170.4% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | -51.7% |
| 2023 | 2.0% | +25.7% |
| 2024 | 2.3% | +11.7% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 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 | +354.5% | 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% | 1.4% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.1% | 1.2% | 3.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
More economy & growth data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 5.26 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 246.12 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.1471 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 3.82 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 283.73 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.1696 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) 9.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0012 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -1.99 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 6.95 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 2.3% 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 (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 3.8% in 2001.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1980.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 17th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.