Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Belgium
Belgium: Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) was -19.31 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Belgium, 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$.
Analysis
Belgium recorded -19.31 billion BoP, current US$ for foreign direct investment, net outflows in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 509.7% on the previous year and down 363.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Belgium peaked at 223.26 billion BoP, current US$ in 2008 and was at its lowest, -36.00 billion BoP, current US$, in 2018.
Belgium ranks 192nd of 193 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Belgium, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 174.00 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 206.00 million BoP, current US$ | +18.4% |
| 1972 | 177.00 million BoP, current US$ | -14.1% |
| 1973 | 269.00 million BoP, current US$ | +52.0% |
| 1974 | 479.00 million BoP, current US$ | +78.1% |
| 1975 | 237.82 million BoP, current US$ | -50.4% |
| 1976 | 351.81 million BoP, current US$ | +47.9% |
| 1977 | 465.21 million BoP, current US$ | +32.2% |
| 1978 | 559.77 million BoP, current US$ | +20.3% |
| 1979 | 1.34 billion BoP, current US$ | +139.5% |
| 1980 | 196.03 million BoP, current US$ | -85.4% |
| 1981 | 103.79 million BoP, current US$ | -47.1% |
| 1982 | -69.06 million BoP, current US$ | -166.5% |
| 1983 | 354.72 million BoP, current US$ | -613.6% |
| 1984 | 292.87 million BoP, current US$ | -17.4% |
| 1985 | 296.49 million BoP, current US$ | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 1.72 billion BoP, current US$ | +481.1% |
| 1987 | 2.78 billion BoP, current US$ | +61.5% |
| 1988 | 3.78 billion BoP, current US$ | +36.0% |
| 1989 | 6.49 billion BoP, current US$ | +71.4% |
| 1990 | 6.31 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.6% |
| 1991 | 6.27 billion BoP, current US$ | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 11.41 billion BoP, current US$ | +81.9% |
| 1993 | 4.90 billion BoP, current US$ | -57.0% |
| 1994 | 1.37 billion BoP, current US$ | -72.0% |
| 1995 | 11.60 billion BoP, current US$ | +746.1% |
| 1996 | 8.03 billion BoP, current US$ | -30.8% |
| 1997 | 7.25 billion BoP, current US$ | -9.6% |
| 1998 | 28.85 billion BoP, current US$ | +297.7% |
| 1999 | 122.30 billion BoP, current US$ | +324.0% |
| 2000 | 86.36 billion BoP, current US$ | -29.4% |
| 2001 | 100.65 billion BoP, current US$ | +16.5% |
| 2002 | 8.92 billion BoP, current US$ | -91.1% |
| 2003 | 39.07 billion BoP, current US$ | +338.0% |
| 2004 | 34.75 billion BoP, current US$ | -11.1% |
| 2005 | 32.54 billion BoP, current US$ | -6.4% |
| 2006 | 50.13 billion BoP, current US$ | +54.1% |
| 2007 | 83.46 billion BoP, current US$ | +66.5% |
| 2008 | 223.26 billion BoP, current US$ | +167.5% |
| 2009 | 33.34 billion BoP, current US$ | -85.1% |
| 2010 | 66.83 billion BoP, current US$ | +100.4% |
| 2011 | 129.11 billion BoP, current US$ | +93.2% |
| 2012 | 41.49 billion BoP, current US$ | -67.9% |
| 2013 | -12.37 billion BoP, current US$ | -129.8% |
| 2014 | -418.23 million BoP, current US$ | -96.6% |
| 2015 | 7.33 billion BoP, current US$ | -1852.7% |
| 2016 | 34.56 billion BoP, current US$ | +371.4% |
| 2017 | -5.30 billion BoP, current US$ | -115.3% |
| 2018 | -36.00 billion BoP, current US$ | +579.3% |
| 2019 | -18.01 billion BoP, current US$ | -50.0% |
| 2020 | -20.34 billion BoP, current US$ | +12.9% |
| 2021 | 62.42 billion BoP, current US$ | -406.9% |
| 2022 | 34.25 billion BoP, current US$ | -45.1% |
| 2023 | -10.66 billion BoP, current US$ | -131.1% |
| 2024 | 4.71 billion BoP, current US$ | -144.2% |
| 2025 | -19.31 billion BoP, current US$ | -509.7% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's -19.31 billion BoP, current US$ is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.46 billion BoP, current US$. (70 countries reporting)
- Belgium's -19.31 billion BoP, current US$ is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 803.14 million BoP, current US$. (49 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Belgium 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 | +1852.7% | -418.23 million BoP, current US$ | 7.33 billion BoP, current US$ |
| 1995 | +746.1% | 1.37 billion BoP, current US$ | 11.60 billion BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 426.03 million BoP, current US$ | 174.00 million BoP, current US$ | 1.34 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.60 billion BoP, current US$ | -69.06 million BoP, current US$ | 6.49 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.83 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.37 billion BoP, current US$ | 122.30 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 69.25 billion BoP, current US$ | 8.92 billion BoP, current US$ | 223.26 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.72 billion BoP, current US$ | -36.00 billion BoP, current US$ | 129.11 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.51 billion BoP, current US$ | -20.34 billion BoP, current US$ | 62.42 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More economy & growth data for Belgium
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.04 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.25 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 2.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0205 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 1,248 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.015 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 911.55 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 2.2 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0089 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Belgium?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Belgium was -19.31 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 Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 223.26 billion BoP, current US$ in 2008.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was -36.00 billion BoP, current US$ in 2018.
- How does Belgium rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Belgium ranks 192nd out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 363.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belgium 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.