Foreign direct investment, net inflows in World
World: Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 1.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in World, 1970–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
World recorded 1.3% for foreign direct investment, net inflows in 2025.
The figure is down 7.5% on the previous year and down 65.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in World peaked at 5.3% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1976.
World ranks 32nd of 47 groups on this measure, 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 World, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.5% | — |
| 1971 | 0.5% | -5.5% |
| 1972 | 0.4% | -9.3% |
| 1973 | 0.5% | +11.2% |
| 1974 | 0.5% | +3.6% |
| 1975 | 0.5% | -3.6% |
| 1976 | 0.3% | -27.2% |
| 1977 | 0.4% | +16.3% |
| 1978 | 0.4% | +4.4% |
| 1979 | 0.4% | +5.6% |
| 1980 | 0.5% | +12.8% |
| 1981 | 0.6% | +25.6% |
| 1982 | 0.6% | -5.9% |
| 1983 | 0.5% | -20.7% |
| 1984 | 0.5% | +7.3% |
| 1985 | 0.4% | -28.3% |
| 1986 | 0.6% | +55.7% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | +49.4% |
| 1988 | 0.9% | +6.5% |
| 1989 | 1.0% | +15.1% |
| 1990 | 1.1% | +5.8% |
| 1991 | 0.8% | -30.2% |
| 1992 | 0.7% | -3.3% |
| 1993 | 0.9% | +22.4% |
| 1994 | 1.0% | +10.7% |
| 1995 | 1.2% | +17.2% |
| 1996 | 1.3% | +9.6% |
| 1997 | 1.6% | +28.6% |
| 1998 | 2.5% | +50.1% |
| 1999 | 3.6% | +48.3% |
| 2000 | 4.6% | +25.9% |
| 2001 | 2.7% | -42.3% |
| 2002 | 2.1% | -19.6% |
| 2003 | 1.9% | -13.1% |
| 2004 | 2.2% | +19.7% |
| 2005 | 3.3% | +46.7% |
| 2006 | 4.2% | +29.5% |
| 2007 | 5.3% | +25.2% |
| 2008 | 3.7% | -29.5% |
| 2009 | 2.4% | -34.8% |
| 2010 | 2.7% | +11.4% |
| 2011 | 3.2% | +16.8% |
| 2012 | 2.7% | -16.0% |
| 2013 | 2.6% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 2.4% | -9.0% |
| 2015 | 3.6% | +49.8% |
| 2016 | 3.5% | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 2.7% | -22.9% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | -54.6% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | +74.7% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | -38.0% |
| 2021 | 2.5% | +88.6% |
| 2022 | 1.8% | -26.8% |
| 2023 | 0.9% | -52.7% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | +56.5% |
| 2025 | 1.3% | -7.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.5% | 0.7% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.2% | 1.9% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.7% | 1.2% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.5% | 0.9% | 2.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near World
More economy & growth data for World
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.23 Percent per annum (2028)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.11 Percent per annum (2028)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 2.87 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2236 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per capita 3,221 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate 7.44 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.285 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per capita 4,106 current US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 5.65 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2408 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in World?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in World was 1.3% 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 World?
- The highest recorded value was 5.3% in 2007.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1976.
- How does World rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- World ranks 32nd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 65.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this World 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.