Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in Singapore
Singapore: Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP was 15.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
15.6%
Change on year
up 40.5%
World rank
4th
of 189 countries
All-time high
22.6%
in 2007
All-time low
-0.1%
in 1981
Years of data
54
1972–2025
Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in Singapore, 1972–2025
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
Singapore recorded 15.6% for foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 40.5% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Singapore peaked at 22.6% in 2007 and was at its lowest, -0.1%, in 1981.
Singapore ranks 4th of 189 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 outflows as share of GDP in Singapore, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 0.7% | — |
| 1973 | 0.7% | -5.4% |
| 1974 | 0.6% | -18.6% |
| 1975 | 0.7% | +17.4% |
| 1976 | 0.7% | +5.4% |
| 1977 | 1.3% | +81.4% |
| 1978 | 1.5% | +17.2% |
| 1979 | 1.8% | +19.3% |
| 1980 | 0.8% | -54.4% |
| 1981 | -0.1% | -112.6% |
| 1982 | 1.9% | -1927.1% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | -85.4% |
| 1984 | 0.5% | +69.0% |
| 1985 | 1.2% | +165.4% |
| 1986 | 1.0% | -21.3% |
| 1987 | 1.0% | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 0.5% | -52.9% |
| 1989 | 2.9% | +523.8% |
| 1990 | 5.6% | +94.3% |
| 1991 | 1.2% | -79.4% |
| 1992 | 2.5% | +118.4% |
| 1993 | 3.6% | +40.6% |
| 1994 | 6.2% | +74.9% |
| 1995 | 8.5% | +37.1% |
| 1996 | 9.8% | +14.7% |
| 1997 | 12.4% | +27.0% |
| 1998 | 4.2% | -66.0% |
| 1999 | 9.6% | +128.0% |
| 2000 | 7.1% | -26.0% |
| 2001 | 22.5% | +215.7% |
| 2002 | 3.1% | -86.4% |
| 2003 | 3.8% | +24.5% |
| 2004 | 11.4% | +199.3% |
| 2005 | 9.8% | -14.0% |
| 2006 | 13.5% | +37.4% |
| 2007 | 22.6% | +67.4% |
| 2008 | 4.1% | -81.8% |
| 2009 | 16.5% | +301.2% |
| 2010 | 14.8% | -10.5% |
| 2011 | 11.4% | -22.7% |
| 2012 | 6.9% | -39.2% |
| 2013 | 14.7% | +112.1% |
| 2014 | 16.7% | +13.2% |
| 2015 | 14.7% | -11.9% |
| 2016 | 12.4% | -15.3% |
| 2017 | 18.9% | +51.6% |
| 2018 | 6.2% | -67.4% |
| 2019 | 18.4% | +198.6% |
| 2020 | 12.2% | -33.7% |
| 2021 | 17.2% | +41.5% |
| 2022 | 12.7% | -26.5% |
| 2023 | 10.0% | -20.9% |
| 2024 | 11.1% | +10.9% |
| 2025 | 15.6% | +40.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.0% | 0.6% | 1.8% | 8 |
| 1980s | 1.0% | -0.1% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.4% | 1.2% | 12.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.4% | 3.1% | 22.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.5% | 6.2% | 18.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.1% | 10.0% | 17.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
- 1 Malta 145.6% compare
- 2 Luxembourg 116.4% compare
- 3 Hong Kong, China 19.7% compare
- 5 United Arab Emirates 14.0% compare
- 6 Ireland 11.0% compare
- 7 Denmark 7.2% compare
More economy & growth data for Singapore
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.99 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 11.86 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 1.27 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 125,022 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current US$), annual growth 3.61 % change on previous year (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current LCU), annual growth 1.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual -3.52 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 0.0003 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 31.81 current LCU per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Singapore?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Singapore was 15.6% 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 Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 22.6% in 2007.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.1% in 1981.
- How does Singapore rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp?
- Singapore ranks 4th out of 189 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Singapore 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.