Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) was 30.79 million BoP, current US$ in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Afghanistan, 1979–2021
Source: 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. Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 30.79 million BoP, current US$ for foreign direct investment, net outflows in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 17.3% on the previous year and up 2,607.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Afghanistan peaked at 38.80 million BoP, current US$ in 2018 and was at its lowest, -8.86 million BoP, current US$, in 2012.
That places Afghanistan 119th out of 193 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1980 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1981 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1982 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1983 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1984 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1985 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1986 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1987 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1988 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1989 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 2003 | 1.00 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 2004 | -700,000 BoP, current US$ | -170.0% |
| 2005 | 1.50 million BoP, current US$ | -314.3% |
| 2008 | -1.92 million BoP, current US$ | -227.9% |
| 2009 | 247,111 BoP, current US$ | -112.9% |
| 2010 | -1.25 million BoP, current US$ | -605.1% |
| 2011 | 1.14 million BoP, current US$ | -191.1% |
| 2012 | -8.86 million BoP, current US$ | -879.2% |
| 2013 | 537,319 BoP, current US$ | -106.1% |
| 2014 | -19,154 BoP, current US$ | -103.6% |
| 2015 | 2.16 million BoP, current US$ | -11393.1% |
| 2016 | 14.01 million BoP, current US$ | +547.5% |
| 2017 | 11.26 million BoP, current US$ | -19.6% |
| 2018 | 38.80 million BoP, current US$ | +244.6% |
| 2019 | 26.32 million BoP, current US$ | -32.2% |
| 2020 | 37.23 million BoP, current US$ | +41.4% |
| 2021 | 30.79 million BoP, current US$ | -17.3% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 30.79 million BoP, current US$ is above the median for low income countries, which is 5.20 million BoP, current US$, 5.9× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 30.79 million BoP, current US$ is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 266.18 million BoP, current US$, 12% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Afghanistan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | +11393.1% | -19,154 BoP, current US$ | 2.16 million BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 1 |
| 1980s | 0 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 25,814 BoP, current US$ | -1.92 million BoP, current US$ | 1.50 million BoP, current US$ | 5 |
| 2010s | 8.41 million BoP, current US$ | -8.86 million BoP, current US$ | 38.80 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.01 million BoP, current US$ | 30.79 million BoP, current US$ | 37.23 million BoP, current US$ | 2 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 116 Laos 38.34 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 117 Bangladesh 34.41 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 118 Kyrgyzstan 33.04 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 120 Burkina Faso 30.35 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 121 Cape Verde 25.71 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 122 Tunisia 23.72 million BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Afghanistan
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP -8.59 Percent per annum (2022)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP -6.24 Percent per annum (2022)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -3.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0237 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 9.26 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -8.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0182 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 6.76 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0237 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Afghanistan?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Afghanistan was 30.79 million BoP, current US$ in 2021, according to 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.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 38.80 million BoP, current US$ in 2018.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was -8.86 million BoP, current US$ in 2012.
- How does Afghanistan rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Afghanistan ranks 119th out of 193 countries with data for 2021.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2,607.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from 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, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Foreign direct investment refers to direct investment equity flows in an economy. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, and other capital. Direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the ordinary shares of voting stock is the criterion for determining the existence of a direct investment relationship. This series shows net outflows of investment from the reporting economy to the rest of the world. Data are in current U.S. dollars.