Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP was 1.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in Bulgaria, 1980–2025
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
Bulgaria recorded 1.2% for foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.3% on the previous year and up 376.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Bulgaria peaked at 2.2% in 2007 and was at its lowest, -0.2%, in 1996.
Bulgaria ranks 48th of 189 countries on this measure, in the top 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 Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0.0% | — |
| 1981 | 0.0% | — |
| 1982 | 0.0% | — |
| 1983 | 0.0% | — |
| 1984 | 0.0% | — |
| 1985 | 0.0% | — |
| 1986 | 0.0% | — |
| 1987 | 0.0% | — |
| 1988 | 0.1% | +210.5% |
| 1989 | 0.0% | -84.8% |
| 1990 | -0.0% | -219.3% |
| 1991 | -0.1% | +558.1% |
| 1992 | -0.0% | -60.4% |
| 1993 | -0.0% | -6.0% |
| 1994 | 0.0% | -106.3% |
| 1995 | -0.0% | -2372.1% |
| 1996 | -0.2% | +450.3% |
| 1997 | -0.0% | -93.5% |
| 1998 | 0.0% | -102.8% |
| 1999 | 0.1% | +29563.0% |
| 2000 | 0.0% | -80.2% |
| 2001 | 0.1% | +174.7% |
| 2002 | 0.2% | +153.6% |
| 2003 | 0.1% | -27.4% |
| 2004 | 0.7% | +489.8% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | -57.7% |
| 2006 | 0.8% | +171.5% |
| 2007 | 2.2% | +157.9% |
| 2008 | 2.1% | -6.3% |
| 2009 | 0.7% | -66.1% |
| 2010 | 1.2% | +67.4% |
| 2011 | 0.9% | -26.6% |
| 2012 | 0.8% | -11.5% |
| 2013 | 0.6% | -16.6% |
| 2014 | 1.5% | +145.5% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | -84.3% |
| 2016 | 1.5% | +531.8% |
| 2017 | 0.8% | -45.4% |
| 2018 | 1.4% | +66.9% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | -13.5% |
| 2020 | 0.6% | -47.1% |
| 2021 | 1.3% | +104.1% |
| 2022 | 1.9% | +45.1% |
| 2023 | 1.2% | -38.7% |
| 2024 | 1.1% | -8.0% |
| 2025 | 1.2% | +8.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.0% | -0.2% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 0.0% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.0% | 0.2% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 0.6% | 1.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More economy & growth data for Bulgaria
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.48 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.58 Percent per annum (2029)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 15.8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.2121 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 4,312 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual 11.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 0.1882 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 3,825 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) -1.44 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.093 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Bulgaria?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Bulgaria was 1.2% 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 Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 2.2% in 2007.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.2% in 1996.
- How does Bulgaria rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp?
- Bulgaria ranks 48th out of 189 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 376.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bulgaria 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.