Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in Belgium
Belgium: Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP was -2.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
-2.7%
Change on year
down 478.9%
World rank
186th
of 189 countries
All-time high
47.4%
in 1999
All-time low
-6.6%
in 2018
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in Belgium, 1970–2025
Source: International Monetary Fund (Balance of Payments), UNCTAD, and national sources, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Belgium is -2.7%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 478.9% on the previous year and down 267.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Belgium peaked at 47.4% in 1999 and was at its lowest, -6.6%, in 2018.
Belgium ranks 186th of 189 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.7% | — |
| 1971 | 0.7% | +6.0% |
| 1972 | 0.5% | -31.1% |
| 1973 | 0.6% | +18.4% |
| 1974 | 0.9% | +51.7% |
| 1975 | 0.4% | -57.6% |
| 1976 | 0.5% | +36.6% |
| 1977 | 0.6% | +13.5% |
| 1978 | 0.6% | -1.5% |
| 1979 | 1.2% | +108.5% |
| 1980 | 0.2% | -86.6% |
| 1981 | 0.1% | -35.9% |
| 1982 | -0.1% | -175.7% |
| 1983 | 0.4% | -642.6% |
| 1984 | 0.4% | -13.6% |
| 1985 | 0.3% | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 1.4% | +317.7% |
| 1987 | 1.9% | +29.7% |
| 1988 | 2.3% | +25.2% |
| 1989 | 3.9% | +69.4% |
| 1990 | 3.1% | -22.1% |
| 1991 | 3.0% | -3.1% |
| 1992 | 4.9% | +63.1% |
| 1993 | 2.2% | -55.1% |
| 1994 | 0.6% | -74.3% |
| 1995 | 4.0% | +619.4% |
| 1996 | 2.9% | -28.6% |
| 1997 | 2.9% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 11.2% | +288.8% |
| 1999 | 47.4% | +324.5% |
| 2000 | 36.5% | -23.0% |
| 2001 | 42.5% | +16.6% |
| 2002 | 3.5% | -91.9% |
| 2003 | 12.3% | +255.8% |
| 2004 | 9.4% | -23.4% |
| 2005 | 8.4% | -10.4% |
| 2006 | 12.3% | +45.6% |
| 2007 | 17.7% | +44.3% |
| 2008 | 43.2% | +143.5% |
| 2009 | 6.9% | -84.1% |
| 2010 | 13.9% | +101.9% |
| 2011 | 24.5% | +76.5% |
| 2012 | 8.3% | -66.0% |
| 2013 | -2.4% | -128.3% |
| 2014 | -0.1% | -96.7% |
| 2015 | 1.6% | -2145.2% |
| 2016 | 7.3% | +358.3% |
| 2017 | -1.1% | -114.5% |
| 2018 | -6.6% | +527.0% |
| 2019 | -3.4% | -49.4% |
| 2020 | -3.8% | +14.4% |
| 2021 | 10.4% | -371.6% |
| 2022 | 5.8% | -44.5% |
| 2023 | -1.6% | -128.3% |
| 2024 | 0.7% | -142.9% |
| 2025 | -2.7% | -478.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.1% | -0.1% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.2% | 0.6% | 47.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.3% | 3.5% | 43.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.2% | -6.6% | 24.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.5% | -3.8% | 10.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 183 Trinidad and Tobago -1.5% compare
- 184 Seychelles -1.9% compare
- 185 Iceland -2.2% compare
- 187 Turks and Caicos Islands -3.9% compare
- 188 Cayman Islands -22.4% compare
- 189 Hungary -24.7% compare
More economy & growth data for Belgium
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.04 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.25 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1117 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per capita 6,787 current US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.0989 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per capita 6,006 current LCU per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.0829 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 5,036 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 4,957 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 7.32 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Belgium?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Belgium was -2.7% in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund (Balance of Payments), UNCTAD, and national sources, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 47.4% in 1999.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was -6.6% in 2018.
- How does Belgium rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp?
- Belgium ranks 186th out of 189 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 267.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (Balance of Payments), UNCTAD, and national sources, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Net outflows of foreign direct investment from the reporting economy to the rest of the world.