Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP was 14.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in United Arab Emirates, 1980–2024
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
In 2024, foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in United Arab Emirates stood at 14.0%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 227.4% on the previous year and up 405.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in United Arab Emirates peaked at 14.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, -0.1%, in 1990.
United Arab Emirates ranks 5th 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 United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | -0.0% | — |
| 1981 | 0.0% | -232.6% |
| 1982 | 0.0% | +182.2% |
| 1983 | 0.0% | -59.2% |
| 1984 | 0.0% | +241.3% |
| 1985 | 0.0% | +14.0% |
| 1986 | -0.1% | -352.1% |
| 1987 | -0.0% | -55.6% |
| 1988 | 0.2% | -728.5% |
| 1989 | 0.0% | -95.4% |
| 1990 | -0.1% | -1378.8% |
| 1991 | 0.0% | -117.8% |
| 1992 | 0.0% | +38.3% |
| 1993 | 0.1% | +97.4% |
| 1994 | 1.0% | +1659.5% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | -90.2% |
| 1996 | 0.2% | +84.0% |
| 1997 | 0.3% | +67.7% |
| 1998 | 0.2% | -42.6% |
| 1999 | 0.4% | +123.2% |
| 2000 | 0.4% | +8.1% |
| 2001 | 0.2% | -49.1% |
| 2002 | 0.4% | +94.2% |
| 2003 | 0.8% | +98.4% |
| 2004 | 1.5% | +87.4% |
| 2005 | 2.1% | +39.0% |
| 2006 | 4.9% | +136.2% |
| 2007 | 5.6% | +15.2% |
| 2008 | 5.0% | -11.2% |
| 2009 | 1.1% | -78.6% |
| 2010 | 0.7% | -39.0% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | -9.8% |
| 2012 | 0.6% | +9.3% |
| 2013 | 2.2% | +233.8% |
| 2014 | 2.8% | +28.1% |
| 2015 | 4.4% | +58.2% |
| 2016 | 4.1% | -5.8% |
| 2017 | 3.5% | -15.3% |
| 2018 | 3.4% | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 4.9% | +42.9% |
| 2020 | 5.3% | +8.4% |
| 2021 | 5.3% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 4.9% | -9.0% |
| 2023 | 4.3% | -12.1% |
| 2024 | 14.0% | +227.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0% | -0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2% | -0.1% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.2% | 0.2% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.7% | 0.6% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.7% | 4.3% | 14.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More economy & growth data for United Arab Emirates
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.85 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.54 Percent per annum (2029)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 10.63 % change on previous year (2023)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 1.65 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 82,149 current LCU per person (2023)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 14.11 % change on previous year (2023)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 0.4595 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 22,906 constant 2015 US$ per person (2023)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 8.27 % change on previous year (2023)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.5709 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in United Arab Emirates?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in United Arab Emirates was 14.0% in 2024, 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 United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 14.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.1% in 1990.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 5th out of 189 countries with data for 2024.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 405.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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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CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Net outflows of foreign direct investment from the reporting economy to the rest of the world.