Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was -3.88 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1970–2025
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$.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Africa Eastern and Southern stood at -3.88 billion BoP, current US$. That is the lowest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3,721.7% on the previous year and down 167.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 9.94 billion BoP, current US$ in 2017 and was at its lowest, -3.88 billion BoP, current US$, in 2025.
That places Africa Eastern and Southern 44th out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 16.80 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 29.36 million BoP, current US$ | +74.8% |
| 1972 | 19.51 million BoP, current US$ | -33.5% |
| 1973 | 51.88 million BoP, current US$ | +165.9% |
| 1974 | 114.79 million BoP, current US$ | +121.3% |
| 1975 | 127.12 million BoP, current US$ | +10.7% |
| 1976 | 38.19 million BoP, current US$ | -70.0% |
| 1977 | 72.25 million BoP, current US$ | +89.2% |
| 1978 | 242.89 million BoP, current US$ | +236.2% |
| 1979 | 17.17 million BoP, current US$ | -92.9% |
| 1980 | 771.20 million BoP, current US$ | +4391.1% |
| 1981 | 656.30 million BoP, current US$ | -14.9% |
| 1982 | 8.77 million BoP, current US$ | -98.7% |
| 1983 | 179.46 million BoP, current US$ | +1945.5% |
| 1984 | 208.81 million BoP, current US$ | +16.4% |
| 1985 | 66.78 million BoP, current US$ | -68.0% |
| 1986 | 86.20 million BoP, current US$ | +29.1% |
| 1987 | 195.23 million BoP, current US$ | +126.5% |
| 1988 | 55.01 million BoP, current US$ | -71.8% |
| 1989 | 182.64 million BoP, current US$ | +232.0% |
| 1990 | 66.25 million BoP, current US$ | -63.7% |
| 1991 | 269.95 million BoP, current US$ | +307.5% |
| 1992 | 2.03 billion BoP, current US$ | +652.5% |
| 1993 | 389.57 million BoP, current US$ | -80.8% |
| 1994 | 1.35 billion BoP, current US$ | +246.7% |
| 1995 | 2.60 billion BoP, current US$ | +92.7% |
| 1996 | 1.09 billion BoP, current US$ | -58.0% |
| 1997 | 2.39 billion BoP, current US$ | +118.6% |
| 1998 | 1.55 billion BoP, current US$ | -35.2% |
| 1999 | 1.59 billion BoP, current US$ | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 296.66 million BoP, current US$ | -81.4% |
| 2001 | -3.14 billion BoP, current US$ | -1157.6% |
| 2002 | -236.58 million BoP, current US$ | -92.5% |
| 2003 | 810.50 million BoP, current US$ | -442.6% |
| 2004 | 2.05 billion BoP, current US$ | +153.4% |
| 2005 | 1.29 billion BoP, current US$ | -37.0% |
| 2006 | 6.59 billion BoP, current US$ | +409.0% |
| 2007 | 4.12 billion BoP, current US$ | -37.5% |
| 2008 | 642.71 million BoP, current US$ | -84.4% |
| 2009 | 1.88 billion BoP, current US$ | +192.3% |
| 2010 | 2.83 billion BoP, current US$ | +50.7% |
| 2011 | 2.44 billion BoP, current US$ | -13.8% |
| 2012 | 4.26 billion BoP, current US$ | +74.3% |
| 2013 | 9.24 billion BoP, current US$ | +117.0% |
| 2014 | 8.46 billion BoP, current US$ | -8.5% |
| 2015 | 5.74 billion BoP, current US$ | -32.1% |
| 2016 | 5.60 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 9.94 billion BoP, current US$ | +77.4% |
| 2018 | 4.54 billion BoP, current US$ | -54.3% |
| 2019 | 1.81 billion BoP, current US$ | -60.2% |
| 2020 | -1.20 billion BoP, current US$ | -166.4% |
| 2021 | 189.86 million BoP, current US$ | -115.8% |
| 2022 | 4.06 billion BoP, current US$ | +2036.9% |
| 2023 | -1.99 billion BoP, current US$ | -149.1% |
| 2024 | 107.18 million BoP, current US$ | -105.4% |
| 2025 | -3.88 billion BoP, current US$ | -3721.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 73.00 million BoP, current US$ | 16.80 million BoP, current US$ | 242.89 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 241.04 million BoP, current US$ | 8.77 million BoP, current US$ | 771.20 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.33 billion BoP, current US$ | 66.25 million BoP, current US$ | 2.60 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.43 billion BoP, current US$ | -3.14 billion BoP, current US$ | 6.59 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.49 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.81 billion BoP, current US$ | 9.94 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | -453.46 million BoP, current US$ | -3.88 billion BoP, current US$ | 4.06 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
- 41 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 2.60 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 42 Greece 2.22 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 43 Slovakia 1.86 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 44 Philippines 1.60 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 45 Cyprus 1.57 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 46 Bulgaria 1.51 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 47 Peru 1.42 billion BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Gross capital formation 247.18 billion current US$ (2025)
- Exports of goods and services 25.6% (2025)
- GDP per capita 1,449 constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation 243.64 billion current US$ (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation 252.46 billion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation 1.0% (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation 17.9% (2025)
- Gross capital formation 18.2% (2025)
- Imports of goods and services 331.70 billion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Imports of goods and services 377.52 billion current US$ (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Africa Eastern and Southern was -3.88 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025, 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 Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 9.94 billion BoP, current US$ in 2017.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.88 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 44th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is down 167.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern 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.