Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in Iceland
Iceland: Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP was -2.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in Iceland, 1976–2025
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 Iceland is -2.2%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 344.4% on the previous year and down 186.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Iceland peaked at 46.5% in 2007 and was at its lowest, -28.6%, in 2017.
That places Iceland 185th out of 189 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Iceland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 0.0% | — |
| 1977 | 0.0% | — |
| 1978 | 0.0% | — |
| 1979 | 0.0% | — |
| 1980 | 0.0% | — |
| 1981 | 0.0% | — |
| 1982 | 0.0% | — |
| 1983 | 0.0% | — |
| 1984 | 0.0% | — |
| 1985 | 0.0% | — |
| 1986 | 0.1% | — |
| 1987 | 0.0% | -75.9% |
| 1988 | 0.0% | +42.1% |
| 1989 | 0.1% | +702.5% |
| 1990 | -0.2% | -263.4% |
| 1991 | -0.1% | -49.5% |
| 1992 | 0.4% | -433.2% |
| 1993 | 0.2% | -42.0% |
| 1994 | 0.4% | +81.6% |
| 1995 | 0.3% | -16.5% |
| 1996 | 0.8% | +145.3% |
| 1997 | 0.7% | -11.6% |
| 1998 | 0.9% | +19.0% |
| 1999 | 1.4% | +56.8% |
| 2000 | 4.1% | +200.2% |
| 2001 | 4.0% | -2.6% |
| 2002 | 3.6% | -8.9% |
| 2003 | 3.3% | -8.8% |
| 2004 | 18.5% | +457.8% |
| 2005 | 41.2% | +123.0% |
| 2006 | 31.4% | -23.8% |
| 2007 | 46.5% | +48.1% |
| 2008 | -20.7% | -144.5% |
| 2009 | 17.2% | -183.0% |
| 2010 | -17.9% | -204.1% |
| 2011 | 0.2% | -100.9% |
| 2012 | -21.4% | -13826.4% |
| 2013 | 3.2% | -115.1% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | -96.4% |
| 2015 | 2.5% | +2051.9% |
| 2016 | -8.6% | -437.2% |
| 2017 | -28.6% | +233.0% |
| 2018 | -0.6% | -98.0% |
| 2019 | 0.6% | -203.1% |
| 2020 | -1.7% | -392.1% |
| 2021 | -0.2% | -90.6% |
| 2022 | 0.8% | -627.3% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | +18.7% |
| 2024 | 0.9% | -10.5% |
| 2025 | -2.2% | -344.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4 |
| 1980s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5% | -0.2% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.9% | -20.7% | 46.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | -7.0% | -28.6% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.2% | -2.2% | 1.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 182 Tuvalu -1.5% compare
- 183 Trinidad and Tobago -1.5% compare
- 184 Seychelles -1.9% compare
- 186 Belgium -2.7% compare
- 187 Turks and Caicos Islands -3.9% compare
- 188 Cayman Islands -22.4% compare
More economy & growth data for Iceland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.96 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.48 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0853 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per capita 8,386 current US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP 10.96 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per capita 1.08 million current LCU per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.051 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 5,012 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 729,781 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 16.18 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Iceland?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Iceland was -2.2% 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 Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 46.5% in 2007.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was -28.6% in 2017.
- How does Iceland rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp?
- Iceland ranks 185th out of 189 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 186.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iceland 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.