Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per in China
China: Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per was 24,038 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per in China, 1982–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in BoP, current US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per in China is 24,038 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
That represents a change of up 7.4% on the previous year and up 209.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per in China peaked at 24,038 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 4.69 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre, in 1982.
China ranks 41st of 188 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 (BoP, current US$), per in China, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 4.69 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1983 | 9.91 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +111.4% |
| 1984 | 14.27 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +44.1% |
| 1985 | 67 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +369.4% |
| 1986 | 47.93 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -28.5% |
| 1987 | 68.7 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +43.3% |
| 1988 | 90.54 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +31.8% |
| 1989 | 83.08 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -8.2% |
| 1990 | 88.41 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 1991 | 97.25 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +10.0% |
| 1992 | 426.06 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +338.1% |
| 1993 | 468.67 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +10.0% |
| 1994 | 213.03 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -54.5% |
| 1995 | 213.03 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 225.18 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1997 | 401.03 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +78.1% |
| 1998 | 482.2 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +20.2% |
| 1999 | 429.9 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -10.8% |
| 2000 | 491.25 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +14.3% |
| 2001 | 1,033 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +110.2% |
| 2002 | 669.36 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -35.2% |
| 2003 | 900.71 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +34.6% |
| 2004 | 849.21 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -5.7% |
| 2005 | 1,462 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +72.2% |
| 2006 | 2,549 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +74.3% |
| 2007 | 1,827 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -28.3% |
| 2008 | 6,044 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +230.8% |
| 2009 | 4,675 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -22.7% |
| 2010 | 6,173 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +32.0% |
| 2011 | 5,158 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -16.4% |
| 2012 | 6,920 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +34.2% |
| 2013 | 7,773 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +12.3% |
| 2014 | 13,115 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +68.7% |
| 2015 | 18,576 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +41.6% |
| 2016 | 23,053 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +24.1% |
| 2017 | 14,730 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -36.1% |
| 2018 | 15,235 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 14,583 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -4.3% |
| 2020 | 16,374 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +12.3% |
| 2021 | 19,045 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +16.3% |
| 2022 | 22,374 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +17.5% |
| 2023 | 24,038 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +7.4% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 24,038 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 968.55 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre, 24.8× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- China's 24,038 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,585 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre, 15.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | +369.4% | 14.27 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 67 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre |
| 1992 | +338.1% | 97.25 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 426.06 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre |
| 2008 | +230.8% | 1,827 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 6,044 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 48.27 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 4.69 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 90.54 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 8 |
| 1990s | 304.48 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 88.41 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 482.2 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,050 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 491.25 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 6,044 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 12,531 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 5,158 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 23,053 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 20,458 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 16,374 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 24,038 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 38 Thailand 26,782 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 39 Croatia 24,432 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 40 Malaysia 24,244 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 42 Azerbaijan 22,689 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 43 Bahamas 22,513 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 44 Panama 19,752 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
More economy & growth data for China
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.46 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.31 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 157.21 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0081 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 111.77 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 79.98 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 87.54 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0041 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 56.86 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 8.47 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per in China?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per in China was 24,038 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 24,038 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.69 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 1982.
- How does China rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per?
- China ranks 41st out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 209.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.