Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per in South Africa
South Africa: Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per was -2,303 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
-2,303 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre
Change on year
down 217.6%
World rank
171st
of 188 countries
All-time high
6,341 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre
in 2014
All-time low
-2,897 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre
in 2001
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per in South Africa, 1970–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in BoP, current US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per in South Africa stood at -2,303 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 217.6% on the previous year and down 142.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per in South Africa peaked at 6,341 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2014 and was at its lowest, -2,897 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre, in 2001.
That places South Africa 171st out of 188 countries with data for 2023, 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 (BoP, current US$), per in South Africa, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 13.85 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1971 | 24.2 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +74.8% |
| 1972 | 16.09 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -33.5% |
| 1973 | 42.76 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +165.9% |
| 1974 | 94.63 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +121.3% |
| 1975 | 103.67 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +9.6% |
| 1976 | 26.54 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -74.4% |
| 1977 | 55.93 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +110.7% |
| 1978 | 196.23 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +250.8% |
| 1979 | 8.81 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -95.5% |
| 1980 | 622.38 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +6963.7% |
| 1981 | 530.79 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -14.7% |
| 1982 | -4.53 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -100.9% |
| 1983 | 128.76 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -2940.0% |
| 1984 | 159.18 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +23.6% |
| 1985 | 39.04 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -75.5% |
| 1986 | 58.51 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +49.9% |
| 1987 | 92.43 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +58.0% |
| 1988 | 53.22 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -42.4% |
| 1989 | 134.12 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +152.0% |
| 1990 | 23.06 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -82.8% |
| 1991 | 170.18 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +638.0% |
| 1992 | 1,598 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +839.3% |
| 1993 | 240.64 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -84.9% |
| 1994 | 1,039 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +331.8% |
| 1995 | 2,056 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +97.8% |
| 1996 | 863.88 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -58.0% |
| 1997 | 1,915 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +121.7% |
| 1998 | 1,347 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -29.7% |
| 1999 | 1,306 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 2000 | 228.49 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -82.5% |
| 2001 | -2,897 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -1368.0% |
| 2002 | -331.6 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -88.6% |
| 2003 | 455.49 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -237.4% |
| 2004 | 1,076 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +136.3% |
| 2005 | 749.67 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -30.3% |
| 2006 | 4,887 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +551.9% |
| 2007 | 2,458 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -49.7% |
| 2008 | -1,747 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -171.1% |
| 2009 | 1,081 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -161.9% |
| 2010 | -132.96 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -112.3% |
| 2011 | -126.45 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -4.9% |
| 2012 | 2,390 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -1989.8% |
| 2013 | 5,375 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +124.9% |
| 2014 | 6,341 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +18.0% |
| 2015 | 4,546 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -28.3% |
| 2016 | 3,702 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -18.6% |
| 2017 | 6,141 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +65.9% |
| 2018 | 3,320 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -45.9% |
| 2019 | 2,589 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -22.0% |
| 2020 | -1,596 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -161.6% |
| 2021 | 83.73 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -105.2% |
| 2022 | 1,958 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | +2237.8% |
| 2023 | -2,303 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -217.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's -2,303 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 968.55 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre. (54 countries reporting)
- South Africa's -2,303 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.38 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre. (43 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +6963.7% | 8.81 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 622.38 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre |
| 1983 | +2940.0% | -4.53 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 128.76 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre |
| 2022 | +2237.8% | 83.73 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 1,958 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre |
| 2012 | +1989.8% | -126.45 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 2,390 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre |
| 2001 | -1368.0% | 228.49 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -2,897 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 58.27 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 8.81 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 196.23 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 181.39 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -4.53 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 622.38 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,056 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 23.06 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 2,056 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 596.01 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -2,897 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 4,887 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,414 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -132.96 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 6,341 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | -464.29 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | -2,303 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 1,958 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 168 El Salvador -1,459 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 169 New Zealand -1,739 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 170 Togo -1,821 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 172 Honduras -2,314 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 173 Finland -3,219 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 174 Timor-Leste -4,573 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre compare
More economy & growth data for South Africa
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.4836 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps -4.01 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0094 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -61.95 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled -2.16 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -192.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0051 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -33.37 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 16.18 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per in South Africa?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per in South Africa was -2,303 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 6,341 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2014.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -2,897 BoP, current US$ per square kilometre in 2001.
- How does South Africa rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per?
- South Africa ranks 171st out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows (bop, current us$), per rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 142.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) 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.