Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste: Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 13.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Timor-Leste, 2003–2025
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 Timor-Leste is 13.3%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
That represents a change of up 10.2% on the previous year and up 392.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Timor-Leste peaked at 13.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, -16.2%, in 2020.
Timor-Leste ranks 11th 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 Timor-Leste, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 0.9% | — |
| 2005 | 0.2% | -78.7% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | +851.1% |
| 2007 | 1.6% | -14.3% |
| 2008 | 6.1% | +282.1% |
| 2009 | 6.6% | +7.8% |
| 2010 | 3.4% | -47.9% |
| 2011 | 4.7% | +36.8% |
| 2012 | 3.5% | -26.1% |
| 2013 | 4.0% | +15.0% |
| 2014 | 2.3% | -41.5% |
| 2015 | 2.7% | +15.4% |
| 2016 | 0.3% | -87.6% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | +26.9% |
| 2018 | 3.1% | +626.9% |
| 2019 | -7.8% | -353.1% |
| 2020 | -16.2% | +107.9% |
| 2021 | -6.6% | -59.3% |
| 2022 | 1.7% | -125.4% |
| 2023 | 5.9% | +251.3% |
| 2024 | 12.1% | +105.7% |
| 2025 | 13.3% | +10.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.9% | 0.2% | 6.6% | 6 |
| 2010s | 1.7% | -7.8% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.7% | -16.2% | 13.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Timor-Leste
- 8 Palau 21.5% compare
- 9 Mozambique 15.4% compare
- 10 Namibia 14.2% compare
- 12 Mauritania 13.2% compare
- 13 Antigua and Barbuda 12.1% compare
- 14 Grenada 12.0% compare
More economy & growth data for Timor-Leste
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per capita 388.27 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3011 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per capita 401.02 current US$ per person (2024)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), annual growth rate 31.82 % change on previous year (2024)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.3011 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), per capita 401.02 current LCU per person (2024)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 32.18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2915 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.8489 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate 14.71 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Timor-Leste?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Timor-Leste was 13.3% 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 Timor-Leste?
- The highest recorded value was 13.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Timor-Leste?
- The lowest recorded value was -16.2% in 2020.
- How does Timor-Leste rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Timor-Leste ranks 11th out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Timor-Leste?
- Over the last ten years it is up 392.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Timor-Leste 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 — 22 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.